Community development block grant disaster recovery (CDBG-DR) and community development block grant mitigation (CDBG-MIT) grant funds are appropriated by congress and allocated by the department of…

The Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development awarded Harris County $67.326 million on December 18, 2025, under the Community Development Block Grants/State's program and Non-Entitlement Grants in Hawaii (CFDA 14.228) to support disaster recovery and mitigation activities in the Houston area. The funding, obligated in full at award, extends through December 18, 2031, with place of performance in Houston, Texas.

Harris County will use the funds for long-term recovery, infrastructure restoration, housing, economic revitalization, and mitigation activities in presidentially declared disaster areas. The county must develop an Action Plan outlining its allocation strategy across recovery programs, make the draft plan available for public comment, and submit the plan to HUD for approval before implementation. All activities must directly or indirectly address impacts of the covered disaster in the designated area. This is a Project Grant, classified as Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funding, which HUD allocates based on unmet recovery needs and provides to states and local governments to support communities recovering from presidentially declared disasters, with particular attention to low-income areas.

Activities

State and local governments receive cdbg-DR and cdbg-MIT funds from HUD to assist communities recovering from a presidentially declared disaster. HUD allocates funds based on the unmet recovery needs of each community. HUD issues an allocation announcement notice in the federal register which will include the list of grantees, allocations, and any waivers and alternative requirements. Grantees may use the funds for disaster related long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure, housing, economic revitalization, and mitigation activities. All cdbg-DR and cdbg-MIT activities must clearly address a direct or indirect impact of the disaster in a presidentially declared area for the covered disaster. Each grantee must develop an action plan that outlines how the grantee plans to allocate funding to a combination of recovery programs. Each grantee must make the draft action plan available for public comment and feedback prior to submitting the plan to HUD for review. Once approved, the action plan serves as the blueprint for the grantee's cdbg-DR program. The action plan process is outlined in the applicable allocation announcement notice.

Expected outcomes

Cdbg-DR funds are expected to result in long-term disaster recovery for communities impacted by presidentially declared disasters.

Intended beneficiaries

Cdbg-DR funds are intended primarily for low- and moderate-income households per statutory requirements. Cdbg-DR is the only federal disaster resource that prioritizes low- and moderate-income households. Low- and moderate-income means a family or household with an annual income less than the section 8 low income limit, which is generally 80 percent of the area median income. Most allocations of cdbg-DR and cdbg-MIT funds require grantees use 70 percent of the grant funds to benefit low- and moderate-income persons, however grantees must review the applicable federal register notice governing the funds to confirm the requirements of each grant. Overall, cdbg-DR funds should be used to assist individuals, communities, and/or businesses situated in the most impacted and distressed areas affected by a presidentially declared disaster.

Subrecipient activities

The subrecipient activities are unknown at the time of award.