Almost a year after Hurricane Beryl and a derecho windstorm made thousands of homes inhabitable, TMO (The Metropolitan Organization) leaders and allies persuaded the City of Houston to boost funding for home repair from zero to $50 million, using federal disaster recovery dollars. 

When the city first received the $315 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), local officials proposed to dedicate $0 towards housing despite official city reports identifying housing as the city’s top unmet need. Instead, the city planned to fund other areas such as backup power generators and public safety vehicles.

TMO and other community organizations encouraged the city to revise their proposal to invest in housing. 

"I support TMO(‘s) requests (that) the City of Houston allocate at least $100 million from the federal disaster recovery fund to help families who still need home repair from Hurricane Beryl,"

said TMO leader Udavine Sampson Barnes. "I would like to thank our mayor and city council for showing empathy and understanding through action."

In response, Houston Mayor John Whitmire called for $50 million dollars in federal disaster relief aid to go towards home repairs. 

This is the latest in TMO’s disaster recovery efforts of listening to affected families, deliberating solutions with those directly impacted, and demanding a response from the local government.

After Beryl devastated Houston in 2024, TMO leaders spoke with over 1,000 people impacted by the storm and found that, one week after Beryl made landfall, 70% were still left without electricity and 25% had no food or money because they were unable to return to work. TMO organized a press conference and called on the city council to improve their response, outreach, and transparency.

TMO continues to develop leaders to improve Houston's disaster response and plans to keep fighting for a budget investment of $100 million in home repair.

[Photo Credit: HTV Live and Video Archive, City of Houston]

Houston Mayor John Whitmire Changes Course, Calls for $50 Million in Federal Disaster Aid to go Toward Housing, Houston Public Media [pdf]

City of Houston Adds $50M for Housing in New Storm Recovery Plan Amid Community Outcry, Houston Defender Network [pdf]

TMO Leaders Demand Action, Accountability on Slow Hurricane Beryl Response, Houston Defender Network [pdf]