Houston unveils draft $314 million CDBG-DR24 action plan emphasizing power resilience, emergency vehicles and homelessness services

City of Houston officials on June 3 presented a draft action plan for a $314 million congressional allocation of CDBG-DR (Disaster Recovery) funds tied to 2024 storms, outlining priorities focused on power resilience for critical facilities, emergency-response vehicles, homelessness services and debris-management investments.

Housing Department Director Mike Nichols told the Budget & Fiscal Affairs Committee that the city requested $305 million and received $314 million as a direct allocation to the city. "We asked for 305,000,000. We got 314, and it's coming directly to the city of Houston," Nichols said. He and deputy director Derek Sellers and Assistant to the Chief of Staff Steven David told the committee the award is not an upfront check but a federal reimbursement grant the city must spend in compliance with HUD rules and documented procedures.

Key elements in the draft plan presented to the committee include: - Power Generation Resilience Program: the single largest proposed share, intended to provide backup generation for water and wastewater facilities, multi-service centers and other critical assets. Officials described the line as "over $150 million" in the draft. - Emergency Response/Public Safety Program: funding for high-water rescue vehicles, ambulances and other public-safety vehicles to increase operational capacity during disasters. - Homelessness and Public Services: a line item presented in the draft for shelter, outreach and supportive services; officials discussed a multi-year spend plan and said the draft included a homelessness allocation in the tens of…