(Washington, DC) – Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher released her comments submitted to the Texas General Land Office (GLO) on the State of Texas Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Mitigation Action Plan (Draft State Action Plan) for the distribution of federal funding to help communities affected by Hurricane Harvey.  Specifically, Congresswoman Fletcher notes that in its current form, the Draft State Action Plan would hinder the communities that are most in need of assistance and calls on the GLO to revise the plan to better reflect the recovery needs in Houston and the areas most impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

“As the representative for Texas’ Seventh Congressional District, one of the areas most devastated during Hurricane Harvey, I am acutely aware of the history and intent of the funds Congress appropriated for disaster recovery.  I have worked with my colleagues in our delegation to expedite the release of these funds to the state because they are critically needed, in my district in Houston and Harris County, and in other areas still recovering from Harvey,” wrote Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “After reviewing and consulting my constituents and others about the plan, I write to you with great concern that the Draft State Action Plan does not fulfill the purpose intended by the Congress and fails the communities most in need of these funds.  I ask that you review and reconsider the following areas of the Draft State Action Plan and implement the recommended changes before the final plan is submitted to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).” 

In her letter to the GLO, Congresswoman Fletcher highlights four specific areas where the Draft State Action Plan must be improved on before a final version is submitted:

• Encourage collaboration between regions: By designating every entity within a joint application as a first-round applicant, the guidelines in the Draft State Action Plan discourages collaboration between regions for large-scale projects. 

• Eliminate the three project application limit: Flooding from Hurricane Harvey affected regions throughout the state differently, meaning that not all areas will require three projects, and the most impacted regions will require more than just three projects to recover from and prevent future flood damage.  

• Eliminate the $100 million cap on projects: The $100 million award cap would not provide enough relief for the regions that need it the most.  

• Allow applicants to develop multiple projects at once: The Draft State Action Plan places a limit on the number of project applications one entity can receive funding for, which would slow down recovery efforts in regions that have already planned projects. 

The full text of Congresswoman Fletcher’s letter can be found here.