Involuntary Buyout & Relocation Program

The Involuntary Buyout & Relocation Program is a mandatory buyout program designed to reduce the risk of future flooding and increase the safety of residents and businesses in areas that have experienced repetitive flooding. FEMA maintains a national database of properties flagged as “Severe Repetitive Loss” (SRL) from flooding, meaning that the properties have had at least four flood claims.

Harris County, excluding the City of Houston, has a total of 869 SRL properties which, combined, have stacked up 5,364 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) paid losses totaling $400,054,157. Both the total number of NFIP paid losses and the total amount of NFIP payments for SRL properties in all of Harris County, including Houston, are the largest totals of any area in the U.S.

Harris County’s future flood resilience and the safety of our residents and first responders depends upon returning repetitively flooding areas to green space.

Owners of property in targeted areas will be offered: 

• Fair market appraised value for their property (residential, commercial or vacant).
• Relocation assistance which could include advisory services, moving and related
  expenses, business re-establishment services, replacement housing payments,
  rental assistance payments, and down payment assistance for replacement homes.

One-for-One Housing
Replacement Plan

Harris County, Texas, is implementing an Involuntary Buyout & Relocation Program within seven areas of the county that have experienced repetitive flooding. This initiative aims to enhance flood resilience and safety by returning these zones to green space. Funding comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) via the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program.

To ensure that CDBG-DR funds are not used to remove affordable housing options, HUD requires one-for-one replacement of all affordable homes which have not been substantially damaged so would otherwise have been suitable for rehabilitation. 

In compliance with HUD’s one-for-one replacement requirement, the Involuntary Buyout & Relocation Program has identified the following:

• 114 properties are planned for demolition by the Buyout Program.
• The extent of damage to 8 of the 114 properties has yet to be determined.
• 72 of the 114 properties are substantially damaged and require no replacement.
• 34 of the 114 properties are not substantially damaged.
• 28 properties of those 34 properties classify as affordable and must be replaced.




Of the affordable homes being demolished, there are:

• 2 two-bedroom units
• 14 three-bedroom units
• 6 four-bedroom units
• 3 five-bedroom
• 2 six-bedroom units
• 1 eleven-bedroom unit

Harris County has collaborated with various developers to ensure a sufficient supply of affordable housing units, both single-family and multifamily, to replace those demolished through the Buyout Program. All new single-family units meet HUD's requirement to remain affordable for low-to-moderate income households for at least 10 years, while multifamily units exceed this with 20-year affordability agreements.

For details on replacement housing, contact Harris County Housing and Community Development at 832-927-4955. Harris County promotes fair housing and ensures program availability regardless of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability.