The Houston housing department is set to ask the state for $23.5 million in federal disaster recovery funding to buy out properties that repeatedly flooded in 2016, allowing for more green space in the floodplain.

City Council on Wednesday approved a grant submission that will allow Housing Director Tom McCasland to request funds from the Texas General Land Office, which administers funds allocated to Texas through a U.S. Housing and Urban Development block grant program.

The money will go toward properties affected by the 2016 Tax Day Flood and flooding that occurred in May and June that year.

The city is likely to begin receiving funds in early 2019, after negotiating a contract with the Land Office later this year.

The money would cover the purchase of single or multi-family properties, resident relocation and demolition of the properties, which would then be used for green space to absorb water in future floods. Some attributed the scale of Harvey’s damage to overdevelopment in the floodplain.

It is unclear which areas the city would target, a decision requiring future council approval, or whether the bulk of funding would go to home or apartment owners. McCasland has said the single-family home buyouts likely will be sent to the Harris County Flood Control District.

The council’s approval comes amid a slow rollout of federal funds for victims of Hurricane Harvey, which drew the attention of council members Wednesday as Hurricane Florence barreled toward the East Coast.

Councilmembers Dwight Boykins and Amanda Edwards expressed dismay over the pace of federal disbursement to the city.

Turner told reporters the federal government “has to do a much better job of streamlining their operations.” He pointed to the fact that City Council had just approved a grant application for floods that occurred more than two years ago.

“There are people who are still out of their homes or they're still repairing their homes, and people literally have run out of money. Or they didn't have the money in the first place,” Turner said in reference to Harvey. “But for the nonprofits, the business community, local relief funds, they would still be in horrible shape.”

The mayor said the city expects to receive HUD’s $1.1 billion allocation for Hurricane Harvey housing relief by the end of November. Additional funds for mitigation will arrive next year, Turner said.

jasper.scherer@chron.com

Twitter: @jaspscherer