City of Houston to spend $50 million on housing repairs in Hurricane Beryl and Derecho recovery plan

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The City of Houston is receiving $314 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for Hurricane Beryl and Derecho recovery.

The city's public draft plan initially allocated $0 for housing. After receiving feedback from community activists, Houston Mayor John Whitmire verbally committed to putting $50 million of the $314 million toward housing.

According to Whitmire's office, the plan will be placed before the Houston City Council for approval within the next two weeks. It is expected to be approved by HUD in September.

Whitmire's office claims they were initially counseled by the Biden Administration, who they first requested the funding through, to not put the money toward housing because the city has historically had issues spending federal disaster dollars on the matter.

ABC13 has not been able to speak with a Biden official regarding the statement.

On Tuesday, HUD Secretary Scott Turner visited Houston, in part, to discuss the $314 million. He stressed the importance of "appropriate stewardship with transparency, accountability" for federal disaster recovery funds.

On Wednesday, the Houston City Council authorized a plan to start collecting applications from homeowners for repairs for the 2021 winter storms.

After Beryl and the Derecho in 2024, a FEMA assessment found the city needed $229 million for home repairs and reconstruction.

According to the City of Houston Housing and Development Department, the FEMA assessment is the only assessment that has been conducted.

City officials told ABC13 that means it is unclear how many homeowners still need help -- as many have already completed repairs utilizing homeowners insurance, nonprofits, and paying out of pocket.

ABC13 spoke with Laura Varajas, who said her family lost their home, which was already damaged from the Derecho, in Beryl. She said her family could not afford homeowners' insurance. She said they spent most of the approximately $40,000 given to them through FEMA to demolish the home.

"I didn't want tickets," she explained.

Varjas said the home served multiple generations. Her family has been forced to split up. She and her elderly father are splitting an apartment in Pasadena.

She said she "called everywhere," including non-profits and the City of Houston, seeking assistance with rebuilding.

She said she has been burning through her savings and expects she and her father will be without a home within the next two months.

"(We'll) probably look into shelters," she said.

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