HUD commits $314 million to Houston resilience; city to harden 100+ sites with backup power

HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development has allocated $314,000,000 to Houston through the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program to support recovery and resilience projects, city and federal officials said at a Houston event.

"We've allocated $314,000,000 to Houston through our community development block grant disaster recovery program to help you in this recovery," Scott Turner said, adding that HUD will emphasize stewardship, transparency and collaboration as the city develops plans for the funds.

Angela Blanchard, the city's chief recovery and resilience officer, said the dollars will support efforts to harden permanent power and protect essential services. "It's a very important day. We're about to take a huge step forward in making Houston more resilient," Blanchard said, noting the administration's focus on keeping police stations, fire stations, libraries and multi-service hubs operational during storms.

Mayor Whitmire said the initiative grew from lessons learned during recent storms when multiple city facilities lost power. He said the city has identified "over a 100 strategic locations" for backup power and described the announcement as part of a broader partnership among city, county, state and nonprofit partners to protect residents and first responders.

At the public event, city officials arranged a demonstration: a local vendor, Enchanted Rock, displayed a trailer-mounted power system and city staff introduced Nina Sadigi, the project's technical consultant, to explain components such as switchgear. Blanchard said staff and community partners who helped select refuge sites would remain after the announcement to answer questions about where systems will be placed and how the work will proceed.

Turner said HUD will work with Houston leaders on a plan and expects local officials to guide how the funds are used. He emphasized that HUD's role is to support and convene rather than direct exact local choices. The mayor and the HUD secretary planned to continue discussions at the Harris Center after the press event to address sheltering and outreach for people experiencing homelessness.

There were no formal votes or motions announced at the event. City officials said more detailed project plans, timelines and site lists would be provided to the public as they are finalized.

The event combined federal funding announcements with a technical demonstration and follow-up community engagement; city staff encouraged attendees to speak with project leads after photos were taken and to expect additional public information as planning continues.