Houston Demolition Days Using $30M Flood Money Fund

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The City of Houston has initiated a project called "Demolition Days," where crews will begin demolishing abandoned and dilapidated buildings across the city using a $30 million fund sourced from stormwater funds. The first demolition was a boarded-up single-family home in Kashmere Gardens, which had been in the Lopez family for generations. The fund's use was controversial due to legal debates about using flood money for building demolitions. The city amended ordinances to ensure funding is used where locations impact drainage, particularly in flood plains. Thousands of structures need demolition, but only a fraction will be addressed with this fund, prioritizing sites evaluated by public works.