BUYOUT PROGRAMS
Montgomery County has six buyout programs administered through two dierent federal departments. Additional buyouts may be pending in addition to those listed.
• For repetitive loss or severe repetitive loss of property • Properties must be enrolled in National Flood Insurance Program • Participants must be included in initial application and remain eligible for duration of program • No housing cost cap Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Flood Mitigation Assistance
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery
Key:
$1M
Funding Spent
2015-16 program
Hurricane Harvey program
Funding: $8.19M
Funding: $12.89M
• Those impacted by the storm can receive grants
• Addresses low- to moderate- income properties; not restricted to income only • $175,000 cap for 2015-16 oods • $200,000 cap for Hurricane Harvey • Participants identied after funding award • Relocation services provided
Spent: $858,962
Spent: $2M
• Homes purchased: 7 • Relocations to new housing: 2
• Homes purchased: 14 • Relocations to new housing: 4
Key:
$1M
Funding Spent
2016
Commissioner James Noack said the county has previously commit- ted $12.5 million in HUD funding for programs addressing areas including Tamina. The county has also applied for funding for infrastructure, includ- ing a Sawdust Road bridge for access to several ood-prone areas. Buyout delay factors With around three years elapsing between funding application due dates and nal awarding of funds for FEMA programs, other factors can delay the buyout process. Lumb- ley said obtaining a clear title on the home has been the biggest factor in delaying a buyout. According to Brittany Eck, direc- tor of communications for the Texas General Land Oce, the federal requirements behind the FEMA and HUD programs create many stale- mate situations as the state and local governments work to meet all the requirements. “Montgomery County is actually one of the most procient grantees utilizing buyout funds,” Eck said. “It is a dicult undertaking, and many counties and cities simply do not wish to administer the program dues to the federal process requirements.” Lumbley said sometimes partic- ipants can withdraw from the pro- gram, which is usually done when they receive the oer letter. Under the HUD grant, delays can also occur if a participant needs to relocate. “We work with them, and we pro- vide them time to try and get an alternate housing plan prior to us pur- chasing [the home],” Lumbley said. “So that might delay it a little bit.” Lumbley also said all the paper- work associated with a HUD buyout must go through the General Land
Oce for approval before the county can issue an oer letter, all of which is part of the general guidelines and cannot be skipped. The buyout program was temporar- ily paused during the early stages of the pandemic, but Lumbley said she believes the pandemic has not sub- stantially delayed the buyout process. Lumbley said the county bought its rst property through the program March 27, 2020. “We purchased them all throughout 2020, 2021 and 2022,” she said. “[The pandemic] didn’t slow me down.” Looking ahead The county is closing out its 2016 Flood Mitigation Assistance pro- gram as of April, Lumbley said, and it will return the federal funding it could not spend. However, she said the goal is always to spend the entire amount funded. “I think where some of the compli- cation comes in is the waiting time between when we submit the applica- tion—and that homeowner is engaged and involved, and it’s something that they want—versus when we actually get the funding,” Lumbley said. Barring another ooding event, Lumbley said she expects the 2021 Flood Mitigation Assistance program to be the last one for the county. “After we’ve received the alloca- tion, and we purchase the homes, unless there’s a specic need to do additional buyouts, I think that might be it,” she said. “The goal is to have all buyouts completed by 2025.” Local solutions FEMA is in the process of revis- ing ood plain maps for the Greater Houston area, with preliminary data expected to come out some time in
Both programs
Funding: $9.07M
Participants must: • Own home • Have a clear title
Spent: $6.1M
2023 based on a December 2022 update from FEMA. According to Montgom- ery County Floodplain Administra- tor John McKinney, the Texas Water Development Board is reviewing the Spring Creek area for vulnerabilities as of April. The Spring Creek area was one of several discussed by The Woodlands One Water Task Force between 2016 and 2022. The task force was formed in the aftermath of the Memorial and Tax Day oods for water agencies and township representatives to discuss issues such as ooding and drainage since The Woodlands has no direct authority over those areas. Bruce Rieser, a former chair of the One Water Task Force and former town- ship board member, said he believes a lack of improvements to Spring Creek and additional development has likely only worsened the problem. “Spring Creek is essentially com- pletely uncontrolled, and there hasn’t been any improvements made to improve the ow,” Rieser said. After being dissolved in April 2022, the task force was reformed by the township in March to continue seeking preventive solutions for future ood- ing events. “If we have another Harvey, we will have the same problem that we had when we started,” Rieser said. “You know, I think it will be as bad or worse.”
• Homes purchased: 27 • Status: in closeout
2019
Funding: $10.07M
Spent: $4.16M
• Homes purchased: 12 • Status: 50% complete
2020
Funding: $12.18M
Spent: $2.37M
• Homes purchased: 8 • Status: 20 homes will be purchased by June
2021
Funding: $13.64M
Spent: 0
SOURCES: MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE COMMUNITY IMPACT • Homes purchased: 0 out of 28 eligible properties • Status: project implementation in November 2023
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION • APRIL 2023
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