Harris County Flood Control Bond Program
City policy · Houston City Council
Active · Introduced Apr 10, 2026
Plain language summary
A $2.5 billion bond to fund flood mitigation projects across Harris County — including Third Ward, Fifth Ward, and Sunnyside.
Harris County voters approved $2.5 billion in bonds in August 2018 to build flood protection projects across our community. This massive investment targets the flooding that hits somewhere in Harris County about every two years, often in neighborhoods built before current flood rules existed.
The bond money funds new drainage channels, stormwater detention basins, and bayou improvements. These projects increase how much water our drainage system can handle during heavy storms. Detention basins work like giant bathtubs - they catch excess rainwater during floods and slowly release it back to bayous when the danger passes.
Hurricane Harvey showed how desperately our area needed this investment. The bond program combines with federal and state funding to tackle flooding in watersheds like Buffalo Bayou, Brays Bayou, Cypress Creek, and White Oak Bayou. Each project gets prioritized based on how many homes and businesses it protects.
The Harris County Flood Control District manages all bond projects from planning through construction. Residents can track progress on specific projects in their neighborhoods through the district's website mapping tools. The work happens year-round, with maintenance teams keeping existing infrastructure ready for the next storm.
People can stay updated on bond projects affecting their area by signing up for news alerts through the Flood Control District website or attending community meetings when projects begin in their neighborhoods.
Pocketbook
How this lands across income brackets
Same bill, different lives. The summary below describes the most likely effect on a household at each income level — based on the sources cited at the end of this section.
Under $30,000
Many live in flood-prone areas with fewer resources to recover. Buyout programs and drainage improvements help the most vulnerable.
$30,000–$60,000
Reduced flood risk means lower insurance costs and fewer missed workdays after storms.
$60,000–$100,000
Property protection and lower flood insurance premiums as projects complete.
Over $100,000
Property values stabilize in flood-prone areas. Bond repayment adds small amount to property taxes.
Sources cross-referenced
- · Texas Legislative Budget Board · fiscal notes
- · Texas Comptroller · distributional analysis
- · ITEP · Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy
- · PolicyEngine · open-source microsimulation
- · CBPP · Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (federal)
- · UH Institute for Regional Forecasting (Houston-specific)
The most direct way to weigh in is to call the office of an official with a vote on this bill. Calls are logged and weighed.
Who decides
18 officials in Houston City Council have a role.
No services have been linked to this policy yet. As editorial maps the connection between bills and the services they fund or reshape, those links land here.