Real estate associations and firms are rushing to help thousands of displaced hurricane victims find temporary housing in the Houston area. The Houston Association of REALTORS® launched
a housing section on its website to help victims of Hurricane Harvey find a temporary place to live. The site allows real estate professionals, property owners, landlords, and property managers to post homes they agree to make available. Some of the homes posted are available for free or a reduced rent. The site displays properties for sale or lease across the state of Texas, not just in the Houston area.
Yardi, a real estate investment software provider, also has created a free online housing directory to help victims. Its
Hurricane Harvey Disaster Response Page, hosted on RentCafe, allows users to search for housing options in the area. Property managers who have available units for rent can add them to the site at no charge. Yardi also launched a hotline that displaced people can call for housing assistance: (844) 363-6317.
While rescue efforts were still underway from Hurricane Harvey, Houston real estate pros Nicole Lopez and Katie Maxwell with Intero Real Estate Services started a Facebook group called
Housing After Harvey. The group, which has more than 2,600 members, allows real estate professionals and investors to post reduced-price or rent-free homes for flood victims.
HAR has partnered with two real estate search firms, Xceligent and Commercial Gateway, to launch a search for commercial tenants to find short-term lease options in the area. Users can access the list at
CommGate.com by clicking on the green “Temporary Space for Harvey Recovery” link.
"Houston will not recover from Harvey's flood until Houstonians are back to work, and getting displaced businesses in new locations is an essential step in the recovery of our communities,"
says HAR chairwoman Cindy Hamann.
—REALTOR® Magazine
