Housing and Community Development Department
Press Release
226 Homes, and Counting, Get Green Light for Blue Tarp Roof Repairs
January 10, 2017 -- Noticeable changes are being made to Houston’s neighborhoods thanks to Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Blue Tarp Program. Homes that have been plagued by damaged roofs and unsightly blue tarps are being provided with much needed assistance and repairs.
Mayor Turner set out to repair storm-damaged roofs for homes of low- and moderate- income households and is continuing to make good on his promise. “We have to decide what we want this city to be, and then act accordingly, building a Houston that works for all of our communities, not just a select few,” said Mayor Turner.
Through canvassing efforts, the City reached out to 654 households with visible damages, 226 of which have been approved for roof repairs, to date.
Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) staff administering the Blue Tarp program believes there are many more homeowners who would likely qualify for the roof repairs but have not applied. There is inherent skepticism in a program designed to make repairs in less than three weeks to damage that has persisted, in some cases, over eight years. However, homeowners who have chosen to participate have expressed gratitude and surprise with the efficiency of the program. Alvaro Ortega, one of the first recipients of repairs, said, “I’m very happy and grateful to the City of Houston for fixing my roof. It took very little time. I made the application and within three weeks they completed the work.”
Through mail and email outreach attempts in multiple languages, the city is working to overcome both skepticism and language barriers to repair as many roofs as possible while funding exists. As of January 9, 2017, the city has completed 127 of the 226 approved homes.
The success of this program is evidence of the mayor’s determination to build complete communities with the most efficient use of resources and collaborative effort. The Housing and Community Development Department partnered with Rebuilding Together Houston for the repair work.
These repairs are building upon previous recovery efforts for Disaster Recovery Rounds 1 and 2 which invested $81 million for housing activities and assisted nearly 3,000 Houstonians. Repairs under the current program, however, are not restricted to homes damaged by Hurricane Ike.
To learn more about Mayor Turner’s Blue Tarp Program and to determine if you qualify for assistance, call the Housing and Community Development Department call center at 832-394-6200.
