Four years after Hurricanes Ike and Dolly inflicted destruction along the Texas coast, state and local advocates continue their work to ensure that residents in affected communities have the resources needed to recover. The Texas Low Income Housing Information Service (TXLIHIS), an NLIHC state coalition partner, has partnered with the Texas Organizing Project (TOP) in their latest “Save our Neighborhoods” campaign.TXLIHIS has played an instrumental role in disaster recovery advocacy since the hurricanes hit in 2008. For example, it teamed with Texas Appleseed in filing an administrative complaint against the state of Texas, which planned to distribute $3 billion in relief funds based on weather patterns, not documented need in hardest hit areas (see Memo, 5/28/10). A conciliation agreement ultimately provided guiding principles for the funds’ allocation and use. Since that time, TXLIHIS has teamed with local grassroots organizations to make residents within affected neighborhoods aware that these funds must be used for disaster recovery in their areas. TXLIHS has worked very closely with TOP, a Houston-based community organizing group, since the 2010 initial allocation of funds to help disaster victims navigate the application process. The two organizations partnered again in 2011 and 2012 for Save Our Neighborhoods, which TOP organized to urge Houston’s housing department to use disaster funds for recovery in low and moderate income neighborhoods, not for other projects. Because the funds were administered through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, advocates were concerned that these resources could be used carelessly and in an untargeted manner. A core element of the Save Our Neighborhoods campaign has been providing residents with training in policy processes and successful advocacy tools and strategies. TXLIHIS believed this approach would be more effective than if it took the lead in the effort. At the same time, the organization used its connections with federal officials to ensure that residents’ voices were heard. In May 2012, TXLIHIS took advantage of the direct access to HUD it gained during the conciliation agreement process, organizing several opportunities for TOP residents to meet directly with then-Assistant Secretary Mercedes Marquez. Residents expressed their concerns about the City of Houston’s longstanding issue with CDBG administration and its potential to impede proper administration of disaster funds. These concerns included slow application processes, overall lack of communication, funding developers for poor repair of homes, and noncompliance with Section 3 requirements. After hearing from residents, Assistant Secretary Marquez extended an opportunity for the city’s housing department to receive national technical assistance to effectively address these issues. In addition, TOP forged an agreement with Mayor Annise Parker to target $151 million of Round 2 disaster funds–56% of the total—to low and moderate income single family home repair once the funds are released this year. TXLIHIS met extensively with community members to assess existing neighborhood conditions and designed a process to help stakeholders identify where to target the funds. Community leaders submitted their recommendations for several affected areas, which the city is reviewing.“Because the city of Houston and Texas Organizing Project have been working together in this effort, Texas Low Income Housing Information Service remains hopeful that the historical walls that traditionally separate fair housing from community development will begin to crumble,” said Chrishelle Palay, TXLIHIS policy analyst.For more information, contact Chrishelle Palay at [email protected].