Project Recovery-Harvey starts in East Harris County

JUDGE LINA HIDALGO announces the start of the Recovery program, as Malcolm Barrett and Adrian Garcia look on.
JUDGE LINA HIDALGO announces the start of the Recovery program, as Malcolm Barrett and Adrian Garcia look on.

BARRETT STATION – The new leadership of Harris County turned out in force to announce Harris County Project Recovery-Harvey Program at the Harris County Barrett Community Center last Saturday.

Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Judge, Adrian Garcia, Precinct 2 Commissioner, Daphne Lemelle, Harris County Community Services Director and a host of county community workers from varied agencies were present to share their expertise enabling residents to get help for their houses, the services they need to recover from Hurricane Harvey.

Harris County Project Recovery-Harvey is for homeowners outside Houston to apply for home repair, reconstruction or reimbursement.

The new Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo indicated that the county is giving out about $200 Million in this program.

“Harvey was an especially difficult disaster because it got to the core of people’s lives because it reached into their homes, in their housing. People’s homes are anchors for them and their families. When people lost their homes and were forced to leave and live somewhere else, they were still forced to watch and wait until they could rebuild and return. That destroys and disrupts the rest of their lives and the fabric of our community.”

“For the first time we are making a massive investment in housing around Harvey,” said Hidalgo, indicating that the program was to be the largest investment a region has made in the area of housing repair.

“It helps us build a stronger community and a more resilient community in all of Harris County,” the Judge concluded.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia asked folks to get in touch with their representatives.

“I will ask you to do one thing. Whenever you get hold of your members of Congress or representatives, any one of them, let them know it is unconscionable that in an area like Harris County, where we know Mother Nature so well, she visits us on a regular basis, we are no strangers to flooding. But, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel over and over, since the government ought to have a good plan in place.”

He encouraged those needing help with housing to get in touch with www.harrisrecovery.org and fill out the application as soon as possible.

“Know that we share your frustration and that we would rather have to get things done sooner rather than later,” said Garcia.

An intake location is in Crosby, that location is located at 14,700 FM 2100 Suite A and B. The facility is open from 8 until 6 Monday through Friday and 9 to 3 on Saturday.