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The Greater Houston Disaster Alliance, a joint effort of Greater Houston Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Houston, has established the Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund. The fund has received early support with lead gifts from Sarofim Foundation ($1 million), H-E-B ($1 million) and CenterPoint Energy Foundation ($1 million), in addition to generous support from Shell and Wells Fargo.
All monies raised by the Disaster Alliance will complement federal government efforts and will be distributed as grants to nonprofit partners to provide low-to-moderate income families with emergency financial assistance, home repairs, and assistance accessing resources in Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery and Waller counties. Those who were affected by the hurricane should complete the Connective Needs Assessment to receive more information on assistance. Those who need immediate assistance are encouraged to call the 211 Texas/United Way HELPLINE.
In the days following the storm, fund leaders have collected data from a variety of sources to assess the extent of need in the region, including:
- Texas Department of Emergency Management iSTAT Damage Survey, which has collected 15,228 surveys from impacted households with 2,540 homes destroyed or with major damage.
- The 211 Texas/United Way HELPLINE, which received 10,856 calls from the four-county region between July 9 through 14. Top needs reported are mass care shelters, cooling centers, electric service repair information, mass feeding services, functional needs and other disaster registries.
- The Connective Needs Assessment Survey, which has received 2,536 reports of need related to the disaster, including reports of 193 damaged homes and primary needs for food, utilities and financial assistance.
For more information on the Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund and how to donate, visit www.disasteralliance.org/beryl.
FEMA: Additionally, residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA App.
SBA: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) also offers low-interest disaster loans to homeowners and renters in a declared major disaster area. You don't need to own a business to apply for SBA assistance. To apply for this assistance, please visit the SBA website.
The city's Office of Emergency Management continues to operate distribution and cooling/charging centers. Click here for an interactive map of all city, county, and non-governmental organization sites. The map is updated every hour.
As always, please reach out with questions or concerns - atla...@houstontx.gov or 832-393-3017.
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