At a March 23 meeting, Fort Bend County commissioners unanimously supported a request for the new position, housing program specialist, to administer and oversee the county’s federally funded housing rehabilitation program.
“We have a need for someone dedicated to this,” County Planning Director Carol Borrego said March 23.
The housing rehabilitation program is administered by the Fort Bend County Community Development Department through a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and and Urban Development. Low- and morderate-income families who are owner-occupants of a property are eligible to receive housing rehabilitation assistance through the program.
The county had a housing program specialist several years ago, Borrego said, but struggled to hire someone new after that person retired, even though the need for someone in that role remained.
Staff members in the county’s community development department have been particularly busy during the coronavirus pandemic, Borrego said, which has highlighted the need for someone dedicated to housing rehabilitation.
“The demand for housing rehab is considerable,” Borrego said. “We have a waiting list. We need someone with expertise who can be dedicated to this, and now we will have that.”
Funds for the position will come from the county’s Community Development Block Grant, Home Investment Partnerships Program and Emergency Solutions Grant.
For more information about the county's housing rehabilitation program, visit www.fortbendcountytx.gov/your-county/housing-rehab.
