Washington, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands) charged the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with treating Texas hurricane victims like second-class citizens.  HUD announced today that Texas is being allocated a paltry $74 million out a massive $11.5 billion Community Development Block Grant disaster funding pool for helping the five Gulf Coast states impacted by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.  The $74 million represents less than 7% of Texas' estimated $1.2 billion total Community Development Block Grant hurricane disaster needs.

 

"I'm angry that HUD ignored instructions from Congress to treat the Gulf Coast hurricane victims equally.  They are intentionally turning their backs on Texas communities that are struggling to recover from Hurricane Rita - the same communities who opened their homes wide to evacuees of Katrina. It's unconscionable," said Brady, who helped lead the fight for Texas disaster funding.

 

"I don't know which is more discouraging for our communities - the storm itself or the shabby treatment by some in our government bureaucracy."

 

Brady is urging HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson to reconsider the decision today and adopt a more merit based approach that would treat all hurricane devastated states equally.

Texas requested a total of $1.2 billion in Community Development Block Grant Assistance from HUD to help cover the expenses the state incurred as a result of absorbing close to half a million Hurricane Katrina evacuees, as well as, funding to help East and Southeast Texas recover from Hurricane Rita, a category 3 hurricane that ravaged much of that region.

 

The $11.5 billion in Community Development Block Grant Assistance divided today among the five hurricane affected Gulf Coast states was a part of a total hurricane relief package valued at $29 billion included in the Department of Defense Appropriations bill approved by Congress shortly before Christmas. 

 

Congressman Brady spearheaded a coalition of Texas members to make Texas

eligible for the federal funding to help cover expenses the state has incurred as a result of both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, the worst natural disaster the region has experienced in decades. 

 

The Community Development Block Grant program is one of HUD's oldest and most flexible programs. The rehabilitation of affordable housing and construction of public facilities and improvements have traditionally been the largest uses of the grants, although Community Development Block Grants are also an important catalyst for job growth and business opportunities.