City of Galveston reaches out to devastated citizens
- By Staff Writer
- Published 01/25/2010
- Community
- Unrated
GALVESTON– It’s been well over a year since the third most destructive hurricane to ever make landfall in the U.S. tore into the City of Galveston, uprooting thousands of Islanders. Now these residents, many of whom were forced to leave their homes and the city, may have reason to move back.
The city’s new Disaster Recovery Housing Program – a voluntary program designed to help repair damage and, when necessary, reconstruct homes—is up and running, and all eligible homeowners are encouraged to apply. The City is reaching out to residents currently living on the Island as well as those relocated on the Mainland—if you currently own a home in Galveston, it was your primary residence, and you were the owner when it was damaged by Hurricane Ike, you may be able to receive financial assistance to repair or rebuild your home.
“We have been doing everything possible to help rebuild our community,” says Galveston City Manager Steve LeBlanc, “The holiday season is a particularly trying time for Galvestonians who want to return to the city they love and call home. We want to bring them back as soon as possible, so we are encouraging all Galveston homeowners to call, visit the website or stop by to see if they are eligible for this important grant program.”
Homeowners may pick up an application and a step-by-step description of the grant program process at the recently opened Housing Assistance Center, located on the first floor of Galveston’s City Hall, 823 25th Street; they can download it on the Galveston City Recovers website at www.cityofgalvestonrecovers.org; or they can call (409)797-3773. Earlier this year, the Houston Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) awarded the City of Galveston a total of $267,387,056 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Round 1 funding. More than $160 million, 60% of the monies, will address housing needs on Galveston Island over the next two years. The funding is part of a $2.1 billion disaster relief package approved by former President George W. Bush in 2008. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs is administering these funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Volunteers and caseworkers are passing out flyers and spreading the word about City of Galveston Recovers, a voluntary program that offers Galvestonians an opportunity to rebuild if they owned and lived in a home in the City of Galveston that was damaged during Hurricane Ike.
For more information, call (409)797-3546.
The city’s new Disaster Recovery Housing Program – a voluntary program designed to help repair damage and, when necessary, reconstruct homes—is up and running, and all eligible homeowners are encouraged to apply. The City is reaching out to residents currently living on the Island as well as those relocated on the Mainland—if you currently own a home in Galveston, it was your primary residence, and you were the owner when it was damaged by Hurricane Ike, you may be able to receive financial assistance to repair or rebuild your home.
“We have been doing everything possible to help rebuild our community,” says Galveston City Manager Steve LeBlanc, “The holiday season is a particularly trying time for Galvestonians who want to return to the city they love and call home. We want to bring them back as soon as possible, so we are encouraging all Galveston homeowners to call, visit the website or stop by to see if they are eligible for this important grant program.”
Homeowners may pick up an application and a step-by-step description of the grant program process at the recently opened Housing Assistance Center, located on the first floor of Galveston’s City Hall, 823 25th Street; they can download it on the Galveston City Recovers website at www.cityofgalvestonrecovers.org; or they can call (409)797-3773. Earlier this year, the Houston Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) awarded the City of Galveston a total of $267,387,056 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Round 1 funding. More than $160 million, 60% of the monies, will address housing needs on Galveston Island over the next two years. The funding is part of a $2.1 billion disaster relief package approved by former President George W. Bush in 2008. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs is administering these funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Volunteers and caseworkers are passing out flyers and spreading the word about City of Galveston Recovers, a voluntary program that offers Galvestonians an opportunity to rebuild if they owned and lived in a home in the City of Galveston that was damaged during Hurricane Ike.
For more information, call (409)797-3546.