WASHINGTON – Several Houston area cities and counties were awarded a total of $33,471,651 in another round of federal grants to help vulnerable populations prepare for and recover from the novel coronavirus outbreak, U.S. Senator John Cornyn announced today. The funding, which was appropriated by Congress in March, comes through the Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of the $174,237,595 awarded to Texas by the CARES Act.
“While Texans continue to persevere as COVID-19 wreaks havoc on our state, we must take steps to ensure that our vulnerable communities are equipped to weather the storm,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m grateful to the Trump Administration for continuing to make recovery in the Houston area a high priority.”
| City/County | ESG20-COVID Recovery |
| Brazoria County | $1,125,985 |
| Fort Bend County | $1,384,930 |
| Harris County | $7,999,883 |
| Houston | $21,649,868 |
| Montgomery County | $1,310,985 |
| TOTAL | $33,471,651 |
*ESG20 = Emergency Solutions Grant FY2020
These ESG-CV funds are to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance. The funds will also support additional homeless assistance and homelessness prevention activities to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. The allocation of $2.96 billion uses a formula targeted toward communities with high fractions of homeless – both sheltered and unsheltered – and those at the most risk for homelessness. It also takes into account economic and housing market conditions by making a modest adjustment for jurisdictions with very high market rents. One of the most at-risk groups for transmission of coronavirus are homeless individuals.
Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, is a member of the Senate Finance, Intelligence, and Judiciary Committees.
