Overview
- The Texas General Land Office said Monday that HUD approved a one-year extension for 28 Harris County projects tied to Hurricane Harvey recovery funding and that the county must prove a documented need to keep the grants.
- The extension sets two firm deadlines: 11 projects must finish by late February 2028 and the other 17 by March 2029, and the 28 projects together represent more than $860 million in federal funds.
- The GLO’s Dawn Buckingham publicly faulted Harris County for failing to provide information needed for HUD approval and said the agency has spent millions and held nearly a thousand meetings to try to move the work forward.
- A Flood Control District report earlier this year showed six of 11 near-term projects were likely to miss the original early-2027 deadlines, jeopardizing more than $245 million, and county officials are now reviewing contracts for possible schedule resets.
- Harris County has named a new flood control director and will brief commissioners on project status on Oct. 15; if milestones are not met the county could face large federal repayments and delayed flood protection for residents.