Some repairs will start in Kerrville on Friday. Partnerships to help Ingram and Hunt could be as soon as next week.
KERR COUNTY, Texas — The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country has raised more than $100 million for Kerr County flood relief.
The nonprofit had already started helping displaced families get housing last month. At the same time, many people were asking when the nonprofit would start funding home repairs. KENS 5 followed up with the Community Foundation Thursday to find out when that repair program would start.
Community Foundation Marketing and Events Manager Jayne Zirkel told KENS 5 the repair program had already started for the area of Kerrville and Center Point.
“Earlier this past week, we granted $3 million to Habitat for Humanity Kerr County to be able to repair and rebuild, or remodel up to 40 homes,” Zirkel said.
The Community Foundation creates partnerships with other nonprofits and organizations that can assist in rebuilding homes. In the Kerrville area, they are working with a local Habitat for Humanity chapter. Zirkel told KENS 5 those grants were already funded and the work would start Friday.
But what about the areas of Ingram and Hunt?
Zirkel said the Community Foundation is working to finalize partnerships with additional organizations in those areas so they can start sending the money to those communities as well.
“We have some other organizations that are not fully funded yet but should be in the next 24 to 48 hours that will help us out in that Hunt and Ingram area and that will begin very quickly thereafter,” Zirkel said.
People in Kerr County who need financial help still need to sign up here.
The Community Foundation has also released some funding to businesses though local chambers of commerce but Zirkel said their current focus was still housing.
The Community Foundation will be working on four funding initiatives which include (in order of priority) emergency needs, a housing advisory council, a mental health council, and community and culture initiative which would include small business.
Zirkel told KENS 5 the Community Foundation is currently focusing on housing and beginning to focus on mental health. The culture initiative will come later.
While the home repair funding had not started across the county at the same time, Zirkel promised West Kerr County will be included as soon as possible.
“No area of Kerr County will be left out. They are all being covered. But the main thing is we need folks who have been affected to go to rebuildkerr.org.” Zirkel said.