Primary Department: Housing and Community Development
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Thao Costis
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: N/A
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Grant - Application
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Texas General Land Office
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Grantor does not allow indirect cost capture
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by Housing and Community Development for approval to submit an application to the Texas General Land Office (GLO) for grant funds in the estimated amount of $20,000,000, for the Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Hurricane Harvey Disaster Recovery Reallocation Program (DRRP), and approval of signatory authority for Thao Costis, Executive Director; Craig Atkins, Chief Financial Officer; and Tory Gunsolley, Chief Program Officer, as alternates to execute contracts and amendments in connection with this grant award and future contracts and amendments regarding Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership, Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) grant awards.
end
Background and Discussion:
On September 3, 2024, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) posted amendments to six state action plans. Each of the amendments includes the new Disaster Recovery Reallocation Program (DRRP), which allows the GLO to utilize de-obligated and unutilized funds within each action plan. HUD approved all action plan amendments. The GLO created a Call for Projects process for 6 different Disaster Recovery Reallocation Programs (DRRP) from Hurricanes Ike and Dolly (2008), 2015 Floods, 2016 Floods, Hurricane Harvey (2017), 2018 South Texas Floods, and 2019 Disasters CDBG-DR funds that yielded approximately $140 million in available funds. Shortly thereafter, HCD, on behalf of Harris County, responded to the Call for Projects process with 3 different eligible projects, but was not invited to proceed into the application process.
On May 12, 2026, the GLO contacted Harris County, with an invitation to proceed with the application process for 2 projects. After careful consideration and discussion with County partners, HCD recommends proceeding with 1 remaining project.
Similar to other state-led CDBG-DR programs, the GLO will administer this program, with Harris County responsible for carrying out eligible projects. Harris County Housing and Community Development (HCD) will serve as the lead department for program implementation, including application development, coordination with County departments and stakeholders, and the administration, monitoring, and compliance of funded activities. This structure is intended to allow Harris County to develop and deploy projects that directly address localized impacts and unmet needs resulting from the winter storm.
As part of the GLO application requirements, approval from Commissioners Court is required to authorize the County to apply for CDBG-DR DRRP funding under this program. Approval of this item will satisfy that requirement and authorize Harris County Housing and Community Development to proceed with application development and submission in accordance with GLO guidelines.
In addition, HCD requests approval to update signatory authority for Thao Costis, Executive Director, with Craig Atkins, Chief Financial Officer, and Tory Gunsolley, Chief Program Officer, as alternates, to execute contracts and amendments in connection with this grant award and future contracts and amendments regarding Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership, Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) grant awards. This signatory authority was last approved with the CDBG-DR Beryl agreement on October 16, 2025.
Expected Impact:
No immediate fiscal impact. Funds will not be received by the County until an award is approved and a grant agreement is executed with the Texas General Land Office (GLO). Approval of this item will authorize the County to submit applications for Hurricane Harvey CDBG-DR funding under the DRRP.
Alternative Options:
N/A
County Strategic Plan Goal: 2. Connect our community with safe, reliable, equitably distributed, and well-maintained infrastructure.
County Strategic Plan Objective: H: Improve the condition and resilience of County transportation, flood control, and other infrastructure.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): N/A
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): N/A
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan: Harris County Housing and Community Development Harris County Housing and Community Development (HCD) plays a central role in securing, administering, and deploying federal disaster recovery funding, enabling the County to access and utilize resources that would not otherwise be available for local priorities. Through programs such as CDBG-DR, HCD provides the technical expertise, regulatory compliance, and coordination across departments needed to translate federal funding into implementable projects. This function supports countywide efforts by aligning external funding with infrastructure, public facility, and resilience priorities, ensuring resources are effectively leveraged to address long-term recovery needs.
Prior Court Action (if any): N/A
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Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
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10/16/2025 |
277 |
Approval of CDBG-DR funding and signatory authority of Thao Costis and alternates |
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Location:
Address (if applicable): N/A
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Service Name |
Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Hurricane Harvey Disaster Recovery Reallocation Program (DRRP) |
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Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
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Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
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$20,000,000 |
$20,000,000 |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new Position Control Numbers (PCN)s) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
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Additional Positions Request |
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County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
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CAO Reviewer Name and Title |
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CAO Review Completion Date |
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Anticipated Court Date: 6/11/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): 6/26/2026
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Disaster Recovery related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Kevin Garza, Assistant Director, Resiliency Planning
Attachments (if applicable): Application Notice, Court Order