Montgomery County Wants to Buy 50 Flood-Prone Homes. Here's What That Means.

Montgomery County is preparing a FEMA application to buy roughly 50 repeatedly flooded homes. The program is voluntary, homeowners cannot apply directly to FEMA, and purchased land must remain permanent open space.

Montgomery County is preparing to seek federal money to purchase and remove roughly 50 homes that have flooded repeatedly. The Commissioners Court approved the next application step on Nov. 5, authorizing a consulting task order of up to $60,000 to prepare a Flood Mitigation Assistance subapplication. County officials said the work will focus on severe repetitive-loss properties, primarily in Precincts 3 and 4.

That approval does not mean 50 homes have already been selected, and it does not force anyone to sell. It begins a competitive grant process that can give willing homeowners a way out of a property where flood damage keeps returning.

Why the County Is Applying

County officials said approximately 250 severe repetitive-loss properties remain in Montgomery County. Those are homes insured through the National Flood Insurance Program that have met federal thresholds for repeated, costly flood claims. The county has already purchased 148 flood-prone properties through earlier mitigation efforts. The structures are removed and the land is kept as open space rather than being rebuilt with another home that may flood again.

The new application is expected to target about 50 additional properties. The Texas Water Development Board administers the federal Flood Mitigation Assistance program for Texas and submits qualifying local applications to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

A Buyout Is Voluntary

FEMA acquisition rules require a signed statement of voluntary participation from each property owner. The county cannot use this program to make a homeowner sell, and FEMA guidance says a community seeking acquisition money must commit not to use eminent domain against an owner who declines.

The program is also not something an individual homeowner can apply for directly. Cities, counties and other eligible local governments assemble applications on behalf of participating property owners and submit them through the state. An interested Montgomery County homeowner would work through local emergency-management or floodplain officials rather than filing a personal application with FEMA.

Who Pays for It

Federal cost sharing depends on how a property is classified. Texas Water Development Board guidance says ordinary eligible projects may receive a 75% federal share, repetitive-loss properties may receive 90%, and severe repetitive-loss properties may qualify for 100% federal funding. County officials described this application as having no net county match, with the application cost reimbursable if the grant is awarded.

The Nov. 5 task order authorizes up to $60,000 for Hagerty Consulting to assemble the submission and supporting material. An approved application can also include certain relocation-related assistance. Officials said income-qualified households may be eligible for help with moving expenses or a down payment, although the terms for any individual property would not be final unless the grant is awarded and the property is accepted.

What Happens to Purchased Land

Once FEMA money is used to acquire and remove a flood-prone home, the property cannot later become another residential lot. Federal rules require a permanent deed restriction that keeps the land as open space and allows it to continue serving its natural floodplain function — grass, native vegetation, drainage space or limited compatible public use, but not another house.

The purpose is larger than one transaction. Removing a repeatedly damaged structure reduces future insurance claims, emergency response costs and taxpayer-funded disaster assistance while giving floodwater more room to spread without entering a home.

What Happens Next

Montgomery County must complete its subapplication through the Texas Water Development Board, which then competes for FEMA funding nationally. Commissioners Court approval is the beginning of the process, not a promise that every proposed property will be purchased.

Homeowners who believe their property may qualify should watch for county outreach and contact Montgomery County floodplain or emergency-management officials. FEMA and the Texas Water Development Board do not accept individual homeowner applications for this program.

For families who have repaired the same home after multiple floods, the distinction matters: the county has opened another possible exit, but participation remains voluntary and funding still has to be won.