Houston officials working to allocate decade old funds for flood prevention and recovery

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- On Wednesday, the Houston City Council voted to reallocate federal funds for flood recovery and prevention initially dispersed a decade ago.

The city was awarded more than $87 million in federal funds following 2015 flooding, according to a spokesperson for Houston Housing and Community Development.

HCD Deputy Director Derek Sellers told ABC13 that much of the money was spent to buy out 38 homes located in floodplains in a partnership with the Harris County Flood Control District.

In 2023, the city's partnership with the Harris County Flood Control District expired. Sellers said some of the money remained unspent, largely because of a $2.5 billion bond package passed by Harris County voters for flood mitigation efforts. Sellers said the bond money has fewer restrictions than the federal funds, making it a more popular choice for remaining buyout efforts.

This Wednesday Houston City Council voted to reallocate $3.3 million of the remaining federal money to detention projects. One of which will occur at Edgewood Park. The city is still working to identify a second project that meets the federal parameters, Sellers said.

"If you've lived (in Houston) any amount of time, you know that flooding is a very real issue and it's not getting any easier. So, we are looking at every opportunity we have to have money available for flood mitigation projects, and I think that this is maximizing these types of funds that were related directly to flooding to ensure the most families are as benefited as possible," said Sellers.

Robert Taylor has lived down the street from Edgewood Park for 30 years. He said his street frequently floods. He told ABC13 the park project is a start, but he is frustrated that the neighborhood is not receiving more help with flood mitigation.

"It's still gonna flood if they're just doing something at the park. It's still gonna flood over here," he said.

Sellers told ABC13 dry retention and bio swells will be part of the park improvement efforts.

For more updates on this story, follow Shannon Ryan on Facebook, X and Instagram.

READ RELATED:

A state takeover could be coming to Harris County flood projects if a new bill passes

How flood mitigation projects are finally reaching some neighborhoods in Aldine