Harvey Economic Development Program

NOTICE TO HARVEY Economic Development Applicants

Thank you for your interest in our HEDP. Unfortunately, we are no longer taking applications. Our grant administrator, the Texas General Land Office (GLO), has terminated this program and will be using the remaining $11.4 million in HEDP funds for their GLO Homeowner Assistance Program in Houston. We apologize for any inconvenience, and we wish you and your business continued recovery and growth.

Hurricane Harvey generated long-term impact and challenges for Houston’s small business sector. The Harvey Economic Development Program (HEDP) provides support to impacted small businesses and communities through small business loans and grants. The program prioritizes microenterprises, which are defined as small businesses consisting of 5 employees or fewer, including the owner. This program will complement existing projects that focus on providing jobs and housing assistance to communities that are most vulnerable to the long-term impact of Hurricane Harvey.

Aims of the program:

Boosting the growth and capacity of microenterprises

Promoting equity by providing capital to disadvantaged business owners

Supporting small contractors working with the City of Houston on post-Harvey reconstruction efforts

Small Business Grants

$24.9M
Total Program Budget

400-500 Businesses Served

Up To $150K
Per Applicant

Program Summary

The Harvey Economic Development Program’s Small Business Grant Program will offer grants to microenterprises in order to help businesses recover from the long-term impact of Hurricane Harvey.

To be eligible, an applicant business must be:

a microenterprise (no more than 5 employees, including the owner) owned by an individual whose income falls at or below 80% of the median income by family size as defined by income requirements established by HUD for the county, or
a small business that creates at least one full-time equivalent(FTE) job, or two part time jobs equivalent to an FTE (.i.e. 32 hours a week or greater), to be held by, or made available to, Low-to-moderate(LMI) persons, or
a small business with a service area that serves a primary residential, primarily LMI area.

Aim

Provide working capital and job creation grants for recovery and growth.

Eligible Businesses

Open to microenterprises across all business sectors.

Program Funding

Grants up to $150k per applicant

Frequently Asked Questions

What to do if I have a City of Houston Tax Lien?

Requesting Property Tax Payment Plans

by Mail

Ann Harris Bennett,
Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector
P.O. Box 4663
Houston, TX 77210-4663

by Email

tax.office@hctx.net

Online

Tax Statement Search

Select "Search and Payments" > " Installment Payment Agreement" Property Tax Services

By Appointment
at any of our locations

Schedule

I need help with business taxes

Additional Questions

Q. Hurricane Harvey impacted my business sales and operations, but it did not physically damage my business storefront. Is my business still eligible?

A. Yes (in relation to this Harvey-impact requirement).

We understand that Harvey’s impact was not just physical damage, but also economic and indirectdamage. As long as you are able to provide proof that your business suffered at least physical, economic damage, or a combination of both physical and economic damage from Hurricane Harvey, this Harvey-impact requirement is satisfied. Examples of economic damage include: reduced business sales/income because of the storm and lost contracts.

Q. If I had a different business in 2017 than the business I have now, is my business still eligible?

Q.If I am the business owner and I am the only employee/my business has no other employees, is my business still eligible?

Q. If my business is located in Sugar Land, the Woodlands, Pearland, or other such surrounding areas, is my business still eligible?

Q. If I do not have any tax documentation for my business, is my business still eligible?

A. No.

We will be held responsible by our grant administrator, the GLO, as well as the federal Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUD) to ensure assistance is provided to actual, operating businesses that were impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Tax documentation, such as: IRS Form 1099, Form 940, Form 941, and/or Personal Tax Returns are required to verify these and other program eligibility elements. We are subject to state and federal audits for this program, and take this responsibility very seriously.

Q. What are the consequences of fraudulent applications in this program?

A. Fraud is defined by federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1001) as knowingly and intentionally doing any of the following:

Falsifying, concealing, or covering up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact;
Making any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation; or
Making or using any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry.

The consequences of fraud are stipulated in 18 U.S. Code § 1040.

“(a)Whoever, in a circumstance described in subsection (b) of this section,

knowingly—

(1) falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device any material fact; or
(2) makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation, or makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation, in any matter involving any benefit authorized, transported, transmitted, transferred, disbursed, or paid in connection with a major disaster declaration ... SHALL BE FINED UNDER THIS TITLE, IMPRISONED NOT MORE THAN 30 YEARS, OR BOTH.”

Every HEDP Applicant is required to date and sign the HEDP Applicant Anti-Fraud Certification. An application shall be considered incomplete and therefore ineligible without the signed and submitted certification.

...just don’t do it! It’s not worth it.

Resources

Document Name	Last Updated
Economic Development Program Guidelines	March 30, 2022
Economic Development Program Dream Fund Program NOFA

Glossary

HCDD

Housing and Community Development Department

CDFI

Partner Community Development Financial Institution

COH

City of Houston

GLO

Texas General Land office which oversees and approves all activities relating to Hurricane Harvey

Questions about the program?

Email Us

Contact the Call Center for inquiries or to check on your application status

832-393-0550

Contact our Complaint/Appeal team for concerns, complaints, or appeals

832-394-6388

Harvey Economic Development Program

Harvey Economic Development Program

NOTICE TO HARVEY Economic Development Applicants

Aims of the program:

Small Business Grants

$24.9MTotal Program Budget

400-500 Businesses Served

Up To $150K Per Applicant

Program Summary

Aim

Eligible Businesses

Program Funding

Frequently Asked Questions

What Documentation do I need?

Need Computer Access?

Need an Employer Tax Identification Number?

What to do if I have a City of Houston Tax Lien?

Requesting Property Tax Payment Plans

by Mail

by Email

Online

By Appointment at any of our locations

I need help with business taxes

Additional Questions

Resources

Glossary

HCDD

CDFI

COH

GLO

Questions about the program?

Contact the Call Center for inquiries or to check on your application status

Contact our Complaint/Appeal team for concerns, complaints, or appeals

Building forward into a more resilient and equitable Houston.

$24.9M
Total Program Budget

Up To $150K
Per Applicant

By Appointment
at any of our locations