Hurricane Harvey Buyouts in La Grange; The Saga Continues

Fayette County Commissioners heard an update on the project to buyout properties damaged by the 2017 Hurricane Harvey flood at a meeting last Thursday, Jan. 13.

The properties will be purchased with federal disaster relief grant funds that are being distributed by the Texas General Land Office (GLO). Angela Hahn, the County’s grant specialist, reported that appraisal letters were sent to homeowners last week. She said the first offers would be made later this month.

Hahn said the GLO approved the applications for eight of the affected properties. Five of those are located near the Frisch Auf! Country Club along Country Club Drive and River Road. Three others are located in the City of La Grange. Four other properties on Country Club Drive are awaiting approval pending environmental reviews.

Hahn said the federal buyout funds come with a stipulation that 70% of the money must assist low to moderate income populations (LMI). The GLO passed that requirement on to the County. She said two homes in Fayette County that are “100 percent ready for offers” are owned by families with with incomes greater than the LMI requirements.

Hahn said the County cannot make offers on those two homes until other property owners that meet the LMI requirements accept their offers.

“We will be able to buy all of the target homes and meet the 70 percent LMI requirement once all of the applications and environmental reviews are approved,” she reported.

The Houston Chronicle reported on Jan. 7 that the federal government was withholding $1.95 billion in Hurricane Harvey aid from the Texas General Land Office over missing documentation. GLO spokesperson Brittany Eck told the Record last week that the Fayette County buyout funds come from a different federal grant program and are not affected by the dispute.