BEAUMONT — Shaun Davis, executive director of the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission, said either we or someone we know is hurting from Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey. He’s asking Southeast Texas residents, however, to wait a little longer on help.

“Patience and perseverance is a virtue more than ever,” Davis said. “Everything is speeded up to get the process done. With five storms in 10 years we know the process.”

Davis chaired the regular meeting of the executive committee of the SETRPC Wednesday afternoon at their office in Beaumont. He said the federal government is distributing $5 billion after governmental entities complete their Draft Action Plan.

The feds will respond and come back to the SETRPC, which will deal with each individual applicant. Davis said the process will take at least two months, maybe 90 days.

Shanna Burke, disaster recovery division director, gave an update on disaster recovery. She said 1,132 households in the region are participating in the short-term recovery project from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

She added that they expect the final numbers in the program to be completed in three to four weeks. Derrick Freeman, mayor of Port Arthur, asked if they are comparing these numbers with the people who are staying in motels. Burke said they get their information from the Texas General Land Office, which in turn gets information from FEMA.

“We’re at FEMA’s mercy,” Davis said.

Freeman said he could see the 1,132 number increasing when people leave the motels and decide what they want to do. Davis said they have the capacity to handle a wave of people.

In an issued disaster recovery update, SETRPC said GLO has released a draft plan for recovery that details how the $5 billion will be distributed. The Southeast Texas Region will receive:

• $205,019,250 for its homeowner assistance program
• $51,687,614 for buyouts and acquisitions
• $105,013,221 for its local infrastructure program.

Davis told the representatives in the audience they can judge which projects they like as a whole but they must ask themselves: Does it impact low-to-moderate households?

The state runs the program, but Davis said he’s confident there will be some involvement for the SETRPC because they know the area better than state staff. Applications drive where the money goes.

Robert Grimm, formerly with the SETRPC, is the liaison with GLO.

The process and progression for getting funds to the area includes detailed planning on the local and state levels with federal reviews and approval.

 

Hardin, Jefferson and Orange counties will use their short-term assistance on either non-housing infrastructure needs and buyout developments.