Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) submitted comments to the Texas General Land Office (GLO) on the State of Texas Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Action Plan Amendment 1, which proposes the use of more than $4.2 billion in federal funds to mitigate disaster risks and reduce future loss in areas impacted by recent disasters. In her letter, Congresswoman Fletcher urges the GLO to revise Amendment 1 to increase Harris County’s allocation to $1 billion and allocate $1 billion to the City of Houston, ensuring that both Houston and Harris County receive separate and substantial funds to reflect the ongoing need for mitigation in our region.

“This proposed directive forces Harris County to allocate funds to flood and drainage districts and municipalities within their jurisdiction, including the City of Houston,” wrote Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “This amount is not sufficient for the projects that Harris County must undertake to protect our infrastructure and citizens, let alone for the projects led by the City of Houston and other local entities.  Because Harris County and Houston were not awarded any funds in GLO’s $2.3 billion funding competition, this allocation will be the sole direct funding source for our local governments to complete mitigation projects in Houston and Harris County.  Considering the documented damage in Houston and Harris County in 2015, 2016, and 2017, more funds are needed in this allocation.”

In May 2021, Congresswoman Fletcher joined with her colleagues in the Houston Congressional Delegation denouncing the GLO’s original State Action Plan that omitted the City of Houston and Harris County from receiving federal relief funding. 

You can read Congresswoman Fletcher’s public comment letter here.