'Residents deserve better': Turner stands firm in effort to help Hurricane Harvey victims gain equal treatment

Following the 2017 Hurricane Harvey storm that caused the destruction of thousands of homes, a government program was established to ensure the replacement of homes for families that were affected. 

However, as it turns out, treatment of the families involved in the program might not be so equal. 

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is bringing attention to this inequitable treatment and demanding fair treatment for members of his community. 

In a tweet, Turner said, "Today, we are here to confront the disparities in how certain neighborhoods, especially communities of color, are being treated by the Texas General Land Office through its Harvey Home rebuilding program."

Reportedly, the Texas General Land Office, the agency put in charge of ensuring that families' homes were rebuilt, has not been distributing resources fairly. For instance, in some neighborhoods, families are having their homes replaced with less bedrooms and less square footage than what they started out with. This means a lower home value and damage to the local economy. Conversely, other neighborhoods are experiencing the opposite. This appears to disproportionately affect communities with a high percentage of people of color. 

Turner further explained, saying, "These scenarios are being played out all across our city. All these residents deserve better. These neighborhoods deserve better. They deserve to be treated equally and with respect. Their concerns should be heard by the GLO and by (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) and these residents are not asking for the moon."

In response, the Texas General Land Office spokesperson Brittany Eck said the disaster recovery program is designed to build storm victims the homes they need based on the number of residents who live there, so if only one resident will live in the home, they can rebuild it as a two-bedroom home even if it was three bedrooms before the storm.

Mayor Turner has asked the federal government to step in and provide oversight to the program, in the hopes that his constituents will be treated more fairly going forward.