Helping Fort Worth launch its first CDBG-DR program

As a direct recipient of disaster recovery funds, the City of Fort Worth needed to quickly build internal capacity to manage its first-ever CDBG-DR program. We provided hands-on support to help the city launch, staff, and implement its recovery and mitigation efforts following the 2021 ice storm.

The City of Fort Worth was dealing with staffing gaps and limited internal experience with HUD’s CDBG-DR requirements. Yet they needed to quickly stand up a compliant program to address housing damage from the 2021 ice storm, which had left many residents without safe, livable homes. With a $27 million allocation—five times larger than its typical annual HUD funding—the city had to scale up fast while maintaining compliance and transparency.

Solution

To meet urgent recovery needs and federal requirements, we worked with the City of Fort Worth, a HUD Entitlement Community, to establish the foundational elements of its CDBG-DR program. Our team brought deep expertise in HUD disaster recovery—embedding technical specialists to support program design, staffing strategy, and operational readiness. This included aligning city processes with federal expectations and ensuring the program could launch quickly and effectively.

We worked closely with city staff to revise the action plan, configure the Neighborly system for intake and case management, and launch the Homeowners Repair and Rehabilitation Program (HARRP). Our team led policy development, trained intake staff, and established quality control processes to ensure consistency and compliance. We also supported mitigation and multifamily housing initiatives, including generator installations at community centers and responding to a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for affordable housing developers. Throughout the engagement, we focused on building the city’s long-term capacity while delivering timely recovery support to residents.

Where we are now

In less than a year, the City of Fort Worth moved from program design to implementation—launching intake, conducting inspections, and preparing awards for construction. The city will be rehabilitating homes to meet HUD’s Housing Quality Standards and adding accessibility features for vulnerable residents. Mitigation efforts include retrofitting community centers with generators and equipping trucks with salt brine systems to prevent future ice-related road hazards. With our support, the city is on track to complete its recovery work efficiently and independently.