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What the HUD Cash Infusion Means for Underinsured Texans

HUD, Housing and Urban Development, Ben CarsonThe state of Texas will receive more than $5 billion in new disaster relief funding thanks to a new grant awarded today by HUD. During a press conference today in Austin, Texas, HUD Deputy Secretary Pamela Hughes Patenaude and Governor Greg Abbott announced that $5.024 billion in relief were headed deep into the heart of Texas, courtesy of HUD’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program.

HUD Secretary Ben Carson said:

As President Trump has said from the beginning, the whole federal family is with the people of Texas to help them recover from this devastating storm as quickly as possible. HUD will work with Governor Abbott and his staff to do whatever is needed to rebuild damaged homes and to restore shuttered businesses in some of the hardest-hit areas of the State.

Governor Abbott said:

The urgency with which our federal partners are addressing the needs of Texans following Harvey is exactly what is needed to help them rebuild their lives. I thank Secretary Carson, Deputy Secretary Patenaude, and the Trump Administration for working on behalf of Texans who have been hardest hit and in need of immediate aid. Our goal from the start has been work in conjunction with federal and local leaders to help Texans repair and rebuild as quickly as possible, and this funding is a good start that brings us one step closer to achieving that goal.

This grant follows on President Trump’s September 8 signing of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 and the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017, which set aside $7.4 billion in funding for major 2017 disasters. HUD is responsible for dispensing the funds, based “the number of seriously damaged homes lacking adequate insurance and businesses that failed to qualify for SBA’s disaster loan program,” as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency  and the Small Business Administration.

HUD determined that over 230,000 homes were damaged by Hurricane Harvey, of which approximately 65,000 and more than 4,000 businesses are not adequately covered by insurance or other programs.

Texas Senator John Cornyn said:

Texans hit hardest by Hurricane Harvey face unprecedented hurdles as they rebuild their homes and businesses, and these funds will help them move forward after the storm. I’m grateful for the support Texas has received from Secretary Carson, and I look forward to continuing my work with Senator Cruz, the Texas delegation, and Governor Abbott to ensure Texans aren’t left behind.

About Author: David Wharton

David Wharton, Editor-in-Chief at the Five Star Institute, is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, where he received his B.A. in English and minored in Journalism. Wharton has nearly 20 years' experience in journalism and previously worked at Thomson Reuters, a multinational mass media and information firm, as Associate Content Editor, focusing on producing media content related to tax and accounting principles and government rules and regulations for accounting professionals. Wharton has an extensive and diversified portfolio of freelance material, with published contributions in both online and print media publications. He can be reached at [email protected].
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