Posters of grassroots organizations stating “We are not leaving from here” and “They are selling us” are plastered along building…
Category: Harvey Recovery
Parallel Roads of Disaster Recovery: A Week in Puerto Rico – Part 1
This blog is the first of a four part series. The following events are Julia Orduña’s recollections while traveling for…
A Little Louder Episode 48: Five Years Later, Harvey Forgotten Survivors Caucus Speaks
Hurricane Harvey landed on Texas shores five years ago this week, dropping a historic amount of rain and flooding on…
Five Years After Harvey: Disaster Recovery In Texas Is An Ongoing Disaster
In a series of blogs, Texas Housers is observing the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Harvey by examining the responses from…
Texas GLO must enter Voluntary Compliance Agreement or Southeast Texas communities of color will continue losing livelihoods and lives
In March of 2022, the Department of Housing and Urban Development determined that the Texas General Land Office was discriminatory…
Read Texas Housers’ and Northeast Action Collective’s joint statement on HUD’s final determination of Texas GLO’s civil rights violation
JOINT STATEMENT OF NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE AND TEXAS HOUSERS ON HUD’S ISSUANCE ON MAY 16 OF A FORMAL LETTER OF…
Watch community members, Texas Housers and Northeast Action Collective’s press conference on Texas GLO’s neglect of neighborhoods of color
On August 22, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) asked HUD to approve a modification of GLO’s controversial decision to…
Texas GLO boasts about the PREPS Program while Harvey Survivors live in homes in dire need of repair
Co-written with Ben Hirsh of West Street Recovery and the Harvey Forgotten Survivors Caucus In a Houston Chronicle op-ed last…
Record-breaking 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season reminds us that preparedness is the first step in disaster recovery
This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted a busy hurricane season with 13-19 named storms, 6-10 hurricanes,…
Harvey Forgotten Survivor Caucus show the long road to disaster recovery with their first ‘home tour’ (VIDEO)
On January 16, a group of residents who have come together to utilize their collective power under the name Harvey Forgotten…
Disaster Recovery in Houston is a tangled mess. This is what I learned that needs to change in my first six months.
Julia Orduña is Texas Housers’ Community Navigator in the greater Houston area. She is sharing her initial impressions of working…
The Reforming Disaster Recovery Act of 2019 succeeds in the House of Representatives, but more work lies ahead
The Federal Reforming Disaster Recovery Act of 2019 (RDRA) passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on November 18, 2019…
Episode 19: Disaster recovery is leaving out renters
When a disaster hits, flooding and fires might not discriminate, but the systems and funding intended to rebuild our communities…
Lawsuit by four Texas renters says State of Texas, HUD discriminate on race in Hurricane Harvey aid
Four South Texas renters filed a civil rights lawsuit last week in federal court alleging HUD and the State of…
Here is how the Seven Principles for Disaster Recovery could be a roadmap to repair following Hurricane Dorian
The harsh toll Hurricane Dorian took on the Bahamas, Southeastern United States, and Atlantic Canada is a cruel, but unfortunately…
Two years of disaster recovery: we are holding our fire for now as we listen to survivors and ask government for a honest accounting
In the two years since Hurricane Harvey made landfall, so much has changed. There has even been some encouraging movement…
Harris County steps into a future of equitable recovery by passing the #HarrisThrives Resolution
Two years ago this week, Hurricane Harvey made landfall over Southeast Texas. The storm’s strength didn’t just punish with its heavy…
Report details the cumulative trauma of family violence and natural disaster during Hurricane Harvey
In a natural disaster, it is vital to act as quickly as possible to help those most vulnerable first. Some…
The U.S. Senate wants to establish a permanent resource to rebuild with the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act Of 2019
Disaster recovery at this moment does not work for all who need it. Structural issues like drainage or organizational issues such…
RAPIDO is now a proven solution for disaster home rebuilding that is rapid, efficient, and just – let’s use it!
On June 12, 2019 at an open house for the final RAPIDO test home in Houston, Texas Housers co-director John…
Disaster survivors often faced double the financial toll when rebuilding their homes. A new law now ensures that won’t happen.
Following a natural disaster, a survivor’s road back to normal can be long and difficult. If they are lucky enough…
These bills strengthening Texas tenants’ rights and disaster recovery could reshape our future
Texans face a host of housing issues: an inadequate amount of quality affordable homes and the lingering effects of Hurricane…
What “equity” in Hurricane Harvey drainage recovery means
The Houston Bayou Initiative invited me to present my views on what equity would look like in the allocation of…
How to avoid disaster recovery Groundhog Day
There is no question that natural disasters will hit Texas again. We hope Mother Nature will keep the peace, but…
Low-income households disproportionately denied by FEMA is a sign of a system that is failing the most vulnerable
For some, Hurricane Harvey is now a distant, if not unpleasant, memory. Looking back on 2017, many Texas families will…
Texas is offering $1 billion for cities to build resilience to prepare for the next storm. But the process could leave out communities that need it most.
(Photo: A lineman checks on a downed powerlines in Port Arthur) In the last blog on Port Arthur, we predicted…
Notes from the field: Charlton Pollard neighborhood works to change the pattern of neglect post-hurricane
Charlton Pollard Resident, Chris Jones, stands on Irving Street looking at a map of his neighborhood, “This area was affected by…
Houston coalition holds People’s Tribunal to amplify voices of vulnerable hurricane survivors
As the one year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey approached the Houston Organizing Movement for Equity coalition also known as HOME…
Who’s rooting for Port Arthur?
(Photo: U.S. Air National Guard rescues family trapped in home in Port Arthur) Port Arthur sits on the shore of…
New report details how Houston floodplain ordinance can worsen inequality in face of future floods
On April 3, 2018, the Houston City Council voted to make Chapter 19, the city’s Floodplain Management Ordinance, more stringent.…