Houston recovery office lays out neighborhood-first resilience plan, scorecard and hubs

Angela Blanchard, the City of Houston’s chief recovery and resilience officer, told the Resiliency Committee that her office will pursue a neighborhood-by-neighborhood strategy to shore up basic services, build community resilience hubs and develop a city-specific “resilience scorecard.” The presentation, given during a Resiliency Committee meeting, also outlined efforts to coordinate public, private and philanthropic partners and to speed procurement of backup generators for critical facilities.

Blanchard said the office’s immediate priorities are guaranteeing “the basic safety and core city services under all conditions,” specifically water and power, and then layering programs and innovation on that foundation. “We are responsible for drinkable water. We want the water to be drinkable, and that's going to be a priority, come hell, wind, or high water,” she said.

Why it matters: The plan is intended to reduce gaps the city encountered in recent events, including a derecho and the winter freeze, when coordination between emergency responders, volunteer groups and long-term recovery organizations proved uneven. Council members who asked questions emphasized timing, generator availability and how residents and council offices can contribute to planning and outreach.

Details of the approach

Resilience scorecard — Blanchard said the office will spend roughly four months collecting input from institutions and partners to create a scorecard that reflects Houston’s unique strengths. She asked council members to contribute information about what institutions are already investing in resilience and to nominate private and nonprofit partners. “If an…