The Houston City Council faced tension over allocating $314 million in federal disaster funds, with debates on prioritizing $100 million for housing repairs.
Tensions ran high at Tuesday’s Houston City Council meeting as residents and city leaders sparred over how to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in federal disaster recovery funding.
The city is set to receive $314 million in federal funds to help recover from two major weather disasters in 2024 — Hurricane Beryl and the May derecho — which damaged or destroyed thousands of homes across the city.
However, only $50 million is currently earmarked for housing repairs, sparking intense debate.
For many residents and several council members, that amount isn’t nearly enough.
“We all agree that zero dollars for home repair won’t work and $50 million isn’t enough,” said Fred Woods during public comment. “I ask that you support Councilmember Thomas’ amendment to increase the home repair allocation to $100 million.”
Supporters of the amendment argue that housing should be the top priority, saying too many families are still displaced or living in unsafe conditions more than a year after the storms.
However, others cautioned against shifting more funds into a program that has struggled in the past.
“After Harvey, the city’s recovery efforts were marred by mismanagement and delays,” said Barbara Denson. “Redirecting funds from critical infrastructure and emergency preparedness to expand a program with a shaky track record is not just risky — it’s reckless.”
Currently, city leaders agree on one thing: the need to balance multiple competing priorities.
Republican council members emphasized that housing is just one piece of a much larger recovery puzzle. But critics counter that housing is the most urgent need and should get a larger share of the funding.
The Houston City Council is expected to vote on the funding breakdown Wednesday.