The Home Builders Association of Greater Austin announced in a news release July 13 that the organization will host two town hall meetings in Hays County to help those whose homes were damaged or destroyed by recent flooding learn how best to get back on their feet. “As homebuilders, we have the knowledge and skill to help these folks rebuild their homes and their lives, said Walt Elias, president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin, in a news release. “As an association, we also have the ability to come together collectively to raise the funds needed to push this effort forward; and as members of this community, it is our duty and honor to do so.” As of July 13, almost 26,000 households had applied for aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and FEMA had approved more than $40 million of assistance for Texans affected by flooding events May 4-June 19. In Hays County, FEMA has processed 1,796 registrations and approved $7.05 million in assistance. On July 9, FEMA extended the deadline for residents affected by the floods to apply for individual assistance—including loans, grants and housing assistance—from July 28 to Aug. 27. The agency has an information center set up at 501 S. LBJ Drive, across the street from the Centrol Cultural Hispano de San Marcos, where flood victims can have questions regarding individual assistance answered. Robin Smith, FEMA public information officer, said an exact count of the number of Hays County residents who have been displaced by the floods is unavailable because of the varying definitions of the word “displaced.” The floods may have forced some people out of their homes for a few days and others for a few months, she said. The agency has stepped in to provide financial assistance for residents who have been displaced. “We provide the money to the people, and then the people decide whether they’re going to go to a hotel or find another house or that kind of thing,” Smith said.