This Week at City Hall

Oct. 6, 2017 • Office of Council Member Ellen Cohen

This Week: Mayor Turner Secures $50M for Harvey Recovery; First Round of Relief Fund Grants Approved; Satellite Permitting Centers Opened; Storm Debris Collection Continues; and National Night Out in District C.

Mayor Turner Secures $50M for Harvey Recovery

Mayor Turner has successfully negotiated with Texas Governor Greg Abbott to receive $50M in state funds to assist with Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. Since this funding will fulfill the City of Houston’s immediate need for storm debris pickup and insurance deductible costs, he has confirmed that Houston will no longer need to pursue a temporary tax increase.

First Round of Relief Fund Grants Approved

Chair Tony Chase of the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund announced that the first round of grants has been awarded to 28 local non-profit organizations to provide services to flood victims. Among them are District C’s Jewish Family Service and the Montrose Counseling Center, as well as Avenue CDC, the Houston Food Bank, Houston Habitat for Humanity, and 23 others. The $7.55M allocation (approximately 10% of the fund total) will be used by these organizations to provide temporary housing, rental assistance, food, case management, and other financial assistance to those impacted by Hurricane Harvey in our city. The grant contract with each organization specifies that the funds must go towards programs that will benefit storm victims within the next 90 days.

Satellite Permitting Centers Opened

Additional satellite permitting centers have been opened throughout Houston to facilitate home repair approvals for those whose homes and businesses were flooded.  Extended operating hours have been established at each location, which are now open Monday –Friday, 7:30A – 6:30P. The most convenient locations for District C residents are:

Storm Debris Collection Continues

The Solid Waste Department and partners continue to cycle through all neighborhoods in Houston to collect storm debris on an ongoing basis and will continue to do so until all material is removed. Today, October 6th, 47 trucks are picking up storm debris in District C, primarily concentrated in the southwest communities of Braeswood Place, Willow Meadows, and the greater Meyerland area. Residents are asked to place their storm debris at the curbside and to avoid parking cars on the street to facilitate pickup.Instructions on placing and separating storm debris »

Please note that, while normal garbage collection schedules have resumed, recycling and heavy trash pickup have been temporarily suspended until further notice as all related crews and trucks are assisting with disaster debris collection.

National Night Out in District C

Team Cohen partnered with the Houston Police Department to visit neighborhoods throughout District C as part of National Night Out, an annual event that encourages crime prevention by calling on communities to gather and get to know their neighbors and the police that serve them. Millions of neighbors participate in National Night Out events and District C is home to over 100 local celebrations every year.  View our NNO Photo Album »

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