Repair Permits
As Houston homeowners rebuild, it’s important to ensure that you have the proper permits to move forward. The Houston Permitting Center is making this easier by opening satellite permitting centers throughout the City and has extended hours at all locations. For a list of locations, and tips making repairs to your homes, visit houstonrecovers.org/repairtips.
Unusually High Water Bills Reported as a Result of Harvey Flooding
The City of Houston and Houston Public Works take seriously the fact that some properties affected by flooding have received unusually high water bills. There are approximately 5,000 customer accounts that have water bills that are twice as much (or more) as the previous billing cycle.
The mayor is working with City Council and Houston Public Works to better understand how this happened and how to correct it. For updates, and steps you can take if you have experienced a high water bill related to Harvey, visit houstonrecovers.org/highbills.
Please call the Contact Customer Account Services at 713-371-1400. Eligible accounts will be placed on hold. Penalties will not accrue and accounts will not be disconnected.
Rental Assistance
If you need more rental assistance because you’re still unable to return to your Harvey-damaged home, let FEMA know. FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. FEMA assistance is nontaxable and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid or other federal benefits.
To be eligible for continued rental assistance, you must complete a form and mail it to FEMA. If you did not receive the form, visit any Disaster Recovery Center (DRC). For a list and interactive map of DRCs in the Houston area, visit houstonrecovers.org/disaster-recovery-centers.
Report Your Debris
The City’s Solid Waste Management Department is working to remove debris as quickly as possible throughout Houston. The Dept. has temporarily suspended all recycling and junk/tree waste service. Do NOT place your green bins and heavy trash/yard waste debris on the curb.
Be sure the City knows about your damage and debris by submitting a report on houston311.org or on the Houston 311 App for Smartphone. Please note that calling 311 repeatedly will not increase the speed by which your debris is collected. For information on debris management, visit houstonrecovers.org.
Harvey by the Numbers
Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the launch of the “Harvey By The Numbers” web site on Friday. The site provides visualized information about Houston’s response to Harvey, as well as on storm debris collection. This site will be updated periodically as Houston’s recovery from Harvey continues. To access the latest numbers, visit houstonrecovers.org/numbers.
Governor Abbott and Mayor Turner Announce Funding For Houston
On Friday, September 29, Mayor Sylvester Turner and Governor Greg Abbott held a news conference at Houston City Hall to announce that the State of Texas will provide $50 million to the City of Houston to offset the cost associated with Houston’s response to Harvey. This additional funding will mean that Houston will NOT need to raise property taxes slightly to cover the cost of response. Watch the press conference online at twitter.com/houstontx.
