Source Khou.news
HOUSTON -- Harris County is at risk of losing millions of dollars meant for rebuilding homes damaged by Hurricane Ike, because not enough people have applied for its Homeowner Disaster Recovery Program.
A $56 million grant given to the county by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development is enough to help as many as 1,000 families, but only a few hundred have applied for assistance.
The Humphrey family of Shoreacres lost everything they owned after the hurricane's storm surge left as much as seven feet of water in their home.
"It was almost more than my heart could take because everything I owned was still on the floor in this house," said Jennifer Humphrey, a teacher.
Estimates vary, but thousands of homes across Harris County were damaged by Hurricane Ike.
The grant will help families repair, rebuild and in some cases elevate homes damaged by the storm.
"You use all of your funds, you borrow from your neighbors, borrow from your family, ut you can only do so much," said Allen Humphrey, inventor of the Go-Kid quadcoaster.
The Humphreys didn't have insurance. They fixed as much as they could. They said the work that's left to finish wouldn't be possible without the grant.
"We have part of our house that we don't even have electricity in," said Jennifer Humphrey. "And that's where our bedroom and our bathroom is."