Houston Complete Communities
Complete Communities Updates
News from your City of Houston
Planning & Development Department
City of Houston September 15, 2017

Complete Communities Kick-Off Dates Rescheduled!

Mayor Sylvester Turner and staff are working to reschedule all five Complete Communities Kick-Off public meetings, which are being rescheduled from the August and September postponements. These meetings will be held for the designated Acres Home, Third Ward, Second Ward, Near Northside, and Gulfton communities.

Rescheduled dates will be posted on our website at www.houstontx.gov/CompleteCommunities as soon as they are confirmed. Help spread the word by asking your neighbors to also sign-up to receive these   Complete Communities newsletter emails. Area specific information will be e-mailed to registered recipients.

Harvey Recovery

With tremendous community participation, Houston is now recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Some were greatly affected by its waters, and some were fortunate to have escaped any physical damage. The number of citizens helping citizens is one aspect of what makes Houston a special place to live! Many residents volunteered time and resources to help those in need, and there are numerous City, regional and other response teams working tirelessly on recovery for this catastrophic flood emergency.

We have heard reports of neighbors heroically helping neighbors, and of a hopeful desire to continue forward to build and rebuild our great City. We've also heard about issues related to lost wages, needs related to rebuilding, and fears of lack of services. Several federal, local and non-profit solutions are listed below.
Tools for Recovery

City Disaster Recovery Information is at www.houstonrecovers.org. Community members can volunteer, donate, register for assistance, and get city and partner updates from this source.

HoustonRecovers.org

AlertHouston gives timely messages directly to your electronic devices. Registration is free and easy! Sign up today. For more information about the City of Houston Office of Emergency Management, visit www.houstonemergency.org.

FEMA Tips: If you have suffered any damage to your home or business and hope to receive any type of government assistance, the Greater Houston Partnership and others suggest that you register with FEMA and receive a disaster assistance number. Go to www.disasterassistance.gov from any device, and after a few questions are answered, you'll receive a nine-digit number, and further access to government resources.

FEMA registration for Federal recovery assistance can also be done in the following ways, according to Alert Houston, as of September 11, 2017:
  • Online at www.disasterassistance.gov; or via the FEMA app, available for Apple and Android mobile devices. To download visit: fema.gov/mobile-app
  • By phone 800-621-3362 (voice, 711/VRS-Video Relay Service) (TTY: 800-462-7585). Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish).
  • In person from 7am to 7pm, at one of the following disaster recovery centers: Katy Mills Mall, Baytown Community Center, or Greenspoint Mall.
Departmental Highlights

The following items highlight Departmental recovery initiatives now underway:

Public Works:
  • Extended hours for flood damage repair permits began September 11th at our main office & September 25th at our permanent satellite offices. #HouRecovers
Houston Permit Cntr EXTENDED HOURS

Solid Waste:
  • The only regularly scheduled solid waste service at this time is garbage collection. All other scheduled services - curbside recycling, yard waste and junk/tree waste - are suspended until further notice, due to Harvey recovery efforts.
  • Go to www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste for details regarding debris removal requirements.
  • Remove all parked vehicles from the streets in areas hit by the storm, to facilitate easy access of the heavy equipment during debris collection.

Housing and Community Development:
  • Landlord/Tenant advice: Are you and your family in need of Landlord Tenant advice post Harvey? As of September 10th, we have a Landlord Tenant Hotline.
  • Tetanus: People seven years of age and older with puncture wounds or cuts that were exposed to flood water or dirt may be at risk for contracting Tetanus. Click here for the fact sheet.

New Americans:

Library:
  • Wifi and computer use is available; contact your local library for hours via http://houstonlibrary.org/.
  • Due date for checked out items has been extended until Friday, September 29, 2017 and overdue fines have been waived.
Information Technology:
  • Internet users are advised to exercise caution before opening related emails, clicking links, visiting websites, or making donations to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.
  • Cyber threat actors (CTA) leverage public interest during natural disasters and other high profile events, to conduct financial fraud and disseminate damaging malware. Be aware.
Other Updates

Partners and community members have been sharing various tips, including:
  • Texas Workforce Commission: Individuals can apply for disaster unemployment benefits online through Unemployment Benefit Services or by calling a Tele-Center Monday - Friday between 8am and 5pm at 800-939-6631.
WE WILL HOLD EACH OTHER UP. WE WILL REBUILD. TOGETHER.
  • ISDs: Although Houston Independent School District schools are resuming education with a rolling start date for 215,000 students, much work and many volunteers are still needed in the communities.  Click here for more information. The Aldine ISD Education Foundation is accepting monetary donations to help families recover. Just click to DONATE NOW. Books and school supplies donations can be delivered to your nearest school.
     
  • Veterans Help and Volunteers: The team here has been busy since Harvey made landfall, with 41 relief projects, 183 volunteers to date at Combined Arms, and throughout the Houston veteran community. Want to do something that takes just a little bit of effort? Share this post so that the veterans who need to see it, do. www.combinedarms.us
     
  • Recovery guide prepared by the United Way of Greater Houston includes a Harvey post-storm checklist, and a series of important contact numbers and websites.
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