Texas County to Buy Out Flood-Prone Homes With Grant Money

(TNS) -Montgomery County is set to buy out 29 flood-prone homes thanks to a $13.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The award comes through the Fiscal Year 2021 Flood Mitigation Assistance Program, which helps to reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to homes and buildings.

Commissioners accepted the grant during their meeting Tuesday. Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack was absent from the meeting.

“Every precinct has some properties but Precinct 3 and Precinct 4 have the vast majority,” said Jason Millsaps, executive director of the county’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

In 2023, Millsaps said the county purchased more than 50 homes through buyout programs. He said the county has a list of about 300 homes eligible for buyout.

The county has worked to buyout homes with federal funds across the county since back-to-back flood events in 2016.

In 2016, Millsaps said, the Tax Day and Memorial Day rain events prompted Federal Emergency Management Agency to award funds for buyouts from residents wanting to sell their homes.

The Houston region, including Montgomery County, saw 17 inches of rain on April 18, 2016 followed by another significant rain event May 26, 2016 that dumped 20 inches of rain across the region.

Millsaps said the buyouts have taken many years due to the lengthy process he called an “atrocious amount of work.”

He said documentation, including when the home flooded and what the homeowners have done to repair it, is needed to ensure the home is eligible for a buyout.

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