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Harris County, TX, January 7, 2025, Today the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) granted Judge Lina Hidalgo’s request for Harris County to receive a direct allocation of federal funding to support Hurricane Beryl recovery and disaster resiliency. The Texas Congressional Delegation and local leaders worked hard to secure $555 million in funds for the state of Texas and $312 million for the city of Houston. However, in the past it has been crucial for Harris County to receive funds directly from the federal government in order to significantly expedite community projects. 

As a result of Judge Hidalgo’s request, Harris County (separate from the city of Houston) will receive $67.3 million in a direct allocation of federal funding ahead of the January 20th change in administration. After receiving the funds, the county will then determine the specific use within storm recovery and resiliency. 

In December Judge Hidalgo sent an urgent letter to HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman requesting that Harris County receive a direct allocation of disaster recovery funding given the damage that was sustained from emergencies over the summer, including Hurricane Beryl, as well as Harris County’s past experience with receiving direct allocations from the federal government. 

“Our community went through so much last year, from the flooding in April to the derecho in May to Hurricane Beryl in July. Throughout all of the disasters we’ve faced, I’ve known that we can always count on the federal government to deliver critical aid that is helping us rebuild and recover. This direct allocation of funding is not only going to help us recover from past disasters, but to build up our resiliency against future disasters. I want to thank President Biden, our congressional delegation and Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman for all of their support. I hope to continue our partnership on disaster recovery with the incoming Administration as well,” said Judge Lina Hidalgo. 

Over the years, Judge Hidalgo has worked tirelessly to secure federal disaster relief aid for Harris County. For example, in 2022, Judge Hidalgo traveled to Washington, D.C. to secure a direct allocation of $1 billion for hurricane recovery that had been tied up in red tape. Last year, Judge Hidalgo advocated with senior Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials. As a result, Harris County received all types of federal aid possible after its multiple disasters, including Individual Assistance (IA), Public Assistance (PA) and Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. As of December 26, 2024, Harris County residents who were impacted by these disasters have received more than $175 million in federal recovery funds.