What we reported: Both Pearland and Friendswood have been working to apply for new federal funds to help with infrastructure projects and buyouts as they recover from Hurricane Harvey.
The latest: City officials are looking forward to positive results from their grant applications.
“I hope that this time next year we have put a number of these grants to bed,” City Manager Morad Kabiri said in December.
The city is applying for 28 buyouts from the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Flood Mitigation Assistance grant programs, totaling around $8 million.
Pearland is seeking $7.9 million for 30 buyouts, special projects and grants administrator Joel Hardy said. It is also seeking $3.5 million from the FMA program for 21 elevation projects.
All of the grants are competitive and require local matching funds, which in some cases may be covered by other grants, local governments or by homeowners directly, Hardy said.
“And a denial is not the end of the day; these agencies get funds every year,” he said.