In a pivotal moment for housing advocates and community organizers, Houston Mayor John Whitmire voiced his support for a more substantial allocation of federal disaster recovery funds towards housing and home repairs during a city council meeting on Wednesday.
The discussion surrounding the use of $315 million in federal disaster recovery funds became contentious as local leaders debated the allocation of resources to recover from the 2024 derecho wind event and Hurricane Beryl.
Initially, Mayor Whitmire’s proposal did not include any funds for home repairs, which sparked significant backlash from advocates.
As a result, the administration adjusted the plan to earmark $20 million for single-family housing and an additional $30 million for multifamily housing.
However, many in the community argued that this amount was insufficient to address the pressing needs of vulnerable households.
Council Member Tiffany Thomas took the initiative to introduce an amendment aimed at raising the total investment in housing from $50 million to $100 million.
“Housing is the number one issue, not just in America, but in Houston every day, especially with the fact that we’re met with disasters consistently,” Thomas emphasized in a statement to Houston Public Media.
Previously, the majority of the funding—$151 million—was allocated to install backup power generators at over 100 city-owned sites, which included community centers, police and fire stations, as well as water infrastructure.
Under Thomas’s proposed amendment, $50 million would be shifted from the power protection initiative to support housing efforts.
Demonstrating his responsiveness to community feedback, Whitmire expressed his respect for Thomas, stating, “Listening to her, listening to the community, of course we’re going to accept her amendment.”
Despite Thomas being absent from the Wednesday meeting due to travel obligations, the mayor announced that the vote on the amendment and overall funding plan would be postponed until the next scheduled meeting on August 13.
In addition to Thomas’s efforts, Council Member Letitia Plummer indicated her intention to introduce a separate amendment aimed at increasing funding for housing, but details of her proposal have not yet been disclosed.
Multiple speakers during the city council’s public comment sessions underscored the urgent need for enhanced financial support for housing-related initiatives.
Doris Brown, co-founder of the Northeast Action Collective and co-director of West Street Recovery, acknowledged the importance of the power protection initiative for emergency resilience but argued that the limited funds for housing contradicted the $41 million designated for services aimed at addressing homelessness.
“If the initiative is to tackle homelessness, what better way than to allocate $100 million for home repair to help rather than cause more hurt or harm by displacement or homelessness?” Brown argued passionately.
Conversely, a smaller group of speakers, including Patricia Moore, advocated for prioritizing the proposed funding for home repairs to bolster the city’s emergency preparedness initiative.
Moore criticized the reallocation proposal, describing it as “deeply flawed” and cautioned that diverting funds from emergency preparedness would be irresponsible.
She asserted, “Our local government must focus on protecting all Houstonians.”
These opposing views align with Council Member Fred Flickinger’s remarks during the previous week’s city council meeting, where he highlighted the divergent perspectives on the funding’s purpose.
“It seems to me like there’s really two schools of thought here,” Flickinger commented.
He went on to clarify that one approach favors assisting a limited number of individuals with home repairs, while the other prioritizes funding for initiatives that benefit the entire community, such as emergency generation resources.
Mayor Whitmire’s backing of Thomas’s proposed reallocation marks a significant victory for housing advocates, who have maintained a consistent presence at city council meetings, voicing their concerns since the original proposal was unveiled in June.
They also protested during the visit of U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner to Houston to ensure their voices were heard.
The Whitmire administration’s previous reluctance to allocate more funds for housing was based on concerns over the extended timelines associated with home repair programs.
Officials contended that HUD, under then-President Joe Biden, sought more rapid action this time around.
Comments made by Turner during his June visit suggest that HUD is likely to approve the revised action plan, as local leaders are seen as having a better understanding of community needs than distant bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
image source from：houstonpublicmedia
