At the June 26th Harris County Commissioners Court session, Bayou City Waterkeeper joined dozens of residents demanding accountability as county leaders addressed a $1.15 billion funding shortfall in the 2018 flood bond program. Seven years after voters approved the historic $2.5 billion bond, 137 of the original 181 projects remain in progress, with many yet to begin construction.
Bayou City Waterkeeper showed up to advocate for equitable flood mitigation and water infrastructure funding that prioritizes historically underinvested communities. Our testimony focused on maintaining the equity-based prioritization framework, demanding transparency in project implementation, and addressing systemic funding inequities.
This advocacy builds on BCWK’s state and federal work promoting water infrastructure funding for underinvested communities. Our policy analyst Usman Mahmood reminded the court that this past spring, we submitted comments to the Texas Water Development Board supporting $375 million in flood mitigation projects, including Harris County projects in communities we’ve designated as Water Justice Zones due to their compounded flooding and social vulnerabilities.
Why the Prioritzation framework matters
The 2022 prioritization framework incorporates a Social Vulnerability Index to ensure flood control funds reach communities most at risk. BCWK legal intern Cathryn Dorries testified that abandoning or weakening this framework would repeat the inequities it was designed to address.
Our staff attorney Clara Goodwin’s testimony led to substantial discussion with the County Judge about how current funding structures perpetuate inequity. Partnership eligibility requirements often include cost-benefit analyses that prioritize property value over people, meaning projects in low-property value neighborhoods qualify for partnership funding less often than projects in wealthier areas. This creates a difficult circumstance for economically disadvantaged communities. For example, Harris County’s floodplain regulations sometimes require homeowners to spend more on house elevation than their homes are worth to maintain FEMA flood insurance coverage.
What BCWK wants to see and support:
Maintain the Prioritization framework: The 2022 framework’s removal of partnership funding from the benefits efficiency formula is important for equity. This change ensures that projects in vulnerable communities aren’t systematically deprioritized due to their inability to meet partnership funding requirements that favor higher property values.
Implement transparent reporting: Our policy and partnership manager Guadalupe Fernandez strongly urged that Harris County needs an accessible online dashboard updated monthly or quarterly with comprehensive project data including location, start dates, completion status, funding sources, and prioritization scores with explanations.
Community-centered implementation: Commissioners should work directly with Flood Control District to implement projects efficiently in their precincts, especially in historically disinvested communities.
Looking ahead
Following testimony from BCWK, Northeast Action Collective, CEER, and other advocates, three of four commissioners voted to instruct the HCFCD to reorganize bond funding to ensure completion of top-priority projects under the equity framework. Although the June 26th session marked progress, BCWK will continue monitoring the flood control district’s implementation of the equity framework and pushing for transparency mechanisms that serve our most vulnerable communities and waterways.