KERRVILLE, Texas (KXAN) The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country revealed a pledge of $40 million in donations aimed directly at providing housing assistance to individuals affected by the July 4 floods.
In Kerr County, 117 people were killed in the flash floods, including 37 children. Two people are still missing.
The money will go toward temporary housing assistance, home repairs/rebuilding, RV repairs/replacement and case managers.
The funding distribution will take a four-tiered approach, with follow-up funds going toward:
- Mental health and well-being
- Economic recovery and quality of life
- Future long-term needs.
According to its latest announcement, the Community Foundation had received about $100 million in donations.
“This is not only a record amount of money being provided to local residents, I think it’s going to be a record speed at which these homeowners are going to be able to get back into their homes,” stated Gov. Greg Abbott during a press conference on Thursday.
This announcement came after an emotional day at the Texas Capitol when families of girls who perished at Camp Mystic testified before a Senate committee in support of legislation mandating increased safety measures for camps statewide. These measures include placing emergency and evacuation plans in cabins and prohibiting the construction of camps in floodplains. The bill passed through the committee and will now advance to the full chamber for a vote.
Disaster declarations were signed in Kerr County almost immediately after the floods.
How flood relief money gets to people in need
Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, encourages people to “raise their hand” and apply for funding. He emphasized that the donation money cannot be distributed to anyone who does not apply.
Anyone wishing to apply for the funding can register on RebuildKerr.org.
Dickson said applicants should expect to get a call from a caseworker within a week.
‘It’s going to take a long time‘
“I can’t even think about it,” said Tammi Ladewig, addressing the widespread loss of life from the July 4 floods.
Despite the heartbreak, she views herself as fortunate. Her family is safe, and her garage door business, AmCo Overhead Door Company, is gradually returning to normalcy.
“It’s going to take a long time, because nothing happens fast, unfortunately,” she said.
She said she applied for some small-business relief funding, but hasn’t heard back yet.
Prior to the housing pledge announcement, the Community Foundation had already allocated $16 million to local nonprofits for various needs, including but not limited to small business assistance.
While adjusting to a new standard, Ladewig has an immense sense of pride and gratitude for her community.
“Country strong,” she said. “That’s the good thing.”
