DISASTER RECOVERY
2017 - 2018 Hurricane Harvey Recovery is provided with funding assistance from the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund dispersed by the Greater Houston Community Foundation in addition to assistance from NeighborWorks America, Simmons Foundation, Allegiance Bank, Union Bank, Enterprise, LISC and invaluable in-kind and volunteer support.
Our recovery efforts commenced immediately following the storm as we began to receive and distribute donated supplies and materials. These efforts quickly expanded in response to the need to assist families with clean-out, muck and gut, and emergency needs. For the first two weeks, we deployed volunteers with required materials and supplies daily to assist families and have since transitioned to deploying an average 130 volunteers on Friday and Saturday. As of Oct. 2, 62 homes and families have already been served with complete clean-out, muck/gut, furniture moving and additional supplies to remediate possible mold and other toxins caused by the water damage. This work is in addition to the countless families who were served as a part of our distribution of dry goods, personal items, non-perishables and “go-boxes” equipped with mucking tools, contractors trash bags, mask, gloves and cleaning supplies. In some instances, we have moved beyond the point where cleanout is environmentally-friendly
We continue to be a hub for area community groups, faith-based groups, and elected officials to coordinate, warehouse, and distribute donated supplies. We have on-site a 40 ft. storage container and an offsite warehouse with 3500 sq. ft. for additional supplies
Ongoing, we will focus on home repair and restoration assistance, building on our ongoing canvassing and mucking work. FWCRC will hire 2.5 full-time staff to meet ongoing demands of recovery. Counselors, administrative, and project/operations managers are already designing project and client management systems. Additional skilled personnel will be contracted for home assessments and inspections and construction services to manage the volume. We have the organizational experience and capacity to do owner-occupied home rehabilitation, and have managed Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Social Service Block Grant (SSBG) Funds for owner-occupied home rehabilitation and recovery programs in the past.
Recognizing families’ financial strains and vulnerabilities, Fifth Ward CRC is making Emergency Financial Assistance available to clients to mitigate income loss from disaster, minimize foreclosures resulting from increased living expenses, and assist with utilities or unmet expenses.
Lastly, Fifth Ward CRC is hosting a long-term recovery resource center staffed with housing counselors, volunteer legal services, and computer kiosks for residents to use in filing claims, printing and scanning documents, and staying connected electronically during their transition. Full operations are planned for October 20, 2017.
The population served by FWCRC will target low-to-moderate-income families with a majority of the request for assistance coming from African Americans and particularly seniors and the disabled.. Our services are not exclusive to a particular ethnicity or economic class but we have established criteria that prioritize assistance based on need.
Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation in collaboration with Harvey Home Repair Collaborative members Houston LISC, Houston Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together Houston, Tejano Center for Community Concerns are recipients of the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, overseen by the Greater Houston Community Foundation.
ABOUT THE HURRICANE HARVEY RELIEF FUND
The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, set up by Houston’s Mayor Turner and Harris County Judge Emmett, is focused on immediate and long-term relief efforts in Harris County and Houston (which may include City residents in Fort Bend or Montgomery County). A fund advisory committee has been established and will ensure that there is a process to determine unmet needs in these areas. Tony Chase, Chairman & CEO of Chase Source, and Bill Jackson, Harris County Budget Officer, will co-chair the advisory committee of 10 members. The Greater Houston Community Foundation will oversee and administer the grant distribution process.
The Greater Houston Community Foundation is a public charitable foundation focused on helping donors expand their philanthropic impact. For over 20 years we have partnered with individuals, families, corporations, foundations, and their advisors to extend their giving in new ways, with greater results.
GETTING HELP MADE SIMPLE…
HERE’S HOW
TEXT FOR ASSISTANCE
TEXT your name and address to the Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation for FREE assistance at (936) 213-0459 or email Fwdisasterassistance@gmail.com
For Most Services you must live in or have a pre-disaster address in
the following zip codes - 77020, 77026 or 7702.
Please download and fill out the PDF form below and bring it to our office (4300 Lyons, Suite #300 Houston, TX 77020.)
