Comments by Julia Orduña When the Biden Administration took office in January 2021, among the first executive orders issued from…
Category: Disaster Recovery
From preparedness, planning, and equity to rebuilding and mitigation, disaster recovery encompasses issues deeply important to the rehabilitation and recovery of low-income communities living in disaster-prone areas in Texas.
Read Texas Housers’ report on Sandpiper Cove’s failed storm evacuation in Galveston
In August 2020, the threat of Hurricane Laura was approaching a HUD-contracted Galveston property known as Sandpiper Cove. Having experienced…
February 21 Update: Governor Abbott and the Texas Legislature continue to fail to act to help Texas freeze survivors
Less than 48 hours after Texas Housers posted a blog entry challenging Texas government officials to take 5 critical actions…
Governor Abbott and Texas Legislators: you got us in this mess, here is what you must do to fix it
A monumental failure of Texas state government is responsible for a statewide power outage causing devastation of our economy and…
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,…
Texas Housers calls on local officials to preserve communities and protect people from homelessness and displacement
The federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic was delayed and has been, at times, inconsistent and confusing. Much of the…
Texas Housers calls on governor to provide bold leadership to help Texans keep their homes amid health crisis
Gov. Greg Abbott announced yesterday that he and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs have taken initial action…
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…
Lessons on disaster recovery, from the Rio Grande Valley to Puerto Rico
One year since Hurricane Maria made landfall, residents and advocates have been rebuilding and preparing themselves for the distribution of…
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.…