City, County Announce $27.6 Million More In Harvey Relief

HOUSTON, TX — Leaders from Houston and Harris County alike on Wednesday announced the distribution of $27.6 million in additional funds to provide relief to Hurricane Harvey flood victims. The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund (HHRF) was founded by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, and today's announcement means $64.4 million has already been distributed. They will distribute another $43 million or more in future rounds.

The latest grants will provide direct financial aid and services to an estimated 12,470 households with 71,328 individuals.

For this round, HHRF grants committee members met with 30 nonprofit organizations in seven of the hardest hit zip codes in Harris County as identified by a needs assessment by the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University. Grant committee members hosted roundtable discussions with these nonprofit organizations to learn more about the unmet needs of the populations in those neighborhoods.

"As recovery and rebuilding efforts continue, new challenges and needs arise. The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund is specifically designed to address these evolving needs," Turner said. "For this third round of funding, we had boots on the ground to evaluate needs in affected areas and get the most accurate, updated information as possible to ensure grants made were aligned with our city’s real-time needs. I believe the grantees will make a real difference in the lives of so many that are still working to pick up the pieces."

"The devastation of Harvey is still disrupting the lives of thousands of our residents," Emmett said. "Fortunately, there are caring, effective organizations that can help restore normalcy to such families and individuals. The generosity of many makes these grants possible."

The grants will provide flood victims with:

• Financial Assistance
• Disaster Case Management
• Basic Needs
• Furniture, Furnishings, and Appliances
• Behavioral Health Services
• Educational Services

This grant round includes over $1.8 million of funding that will be directed toward local school districts, which are well-positioned to provide direct assistance to the families they serve. School districts will use the funds to support families through direct emergency financial assistance, tutoring and educational services, and basic supplies for students.

The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund is also partnering with St. Bernard Project to place more than 70 AmeriCorps members in social services organizations serving the community. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is sharing the cost of the placements, which will increase staffing of the community organizations, particularly for disaster relief efforts related to home repair and construction.

"We recognize and are humbled by the heroic work by so many to help those in need," said Steve Maislin, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Community Foundation, which administers the fund. "As Houston works to recover, rebuild and restore the lives of those affected by Hurricane Harvey, we are truly grateful for the outpouring of support and the generosity of our local community and from those across the country."

Anyone wishing to contribute to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund can do so here until December 31, 2017. You can also learn more about the fund, grant recipients, maps of areas served, and more here through the relief fund's website.

Image: In this Nov. 17, 2017 photo, George Dorsey, center, hugs Samaritan's Purse recovery volunteer Nikki Moore, left, outside his hurricane-damaged home in Houston. Dorsey usually hosts a large Thanksgiving dinner for family but is making other arrangements this year as he continues to recover from Hurricane Harvey. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)