Helping Houston area artists & organizations on the road to recovery.
Visit the Ike Help Page to review the 10/02 Meeting of city wide agencies and summary report of their efforts.
Organizations include Salvation Army, FEMA, mental/ behavioral health organizations, Mental Health of America of Greater Houston, MHMR, senior citizen groups, Collaborative for Children, Assessment Building Network, Career & Recovery Resources, Volunteer Houston, Craigslist Volunteers, YOAD, International Relief & Development, NAM, ACAM, and Boat People SOS.
Centerpoint is requesting their customers who are still without electricity to call (713) 207-2222.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has opened two Business Assistance Centers in Houston to provide a range of services to businesses affected by Hurricane Ike. Specialists from SBA and the University of Houston Small Business Development Center Network will be available to meet with business owners to explain how an SBA disaster loan can help finance their recovery. The two Houston locations are at the University of Houston SBDC,
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Yolanda Beverly, U.S. SBA Communications Specialist, attended the 09/26/08 HAA Town Hall Meeting to discuss SBA loan opportunities. She can be reached directly at 916.735.1500.
If you are unemployed because of the effects of the hurricane, you can apply for disaster unemployment assistance by calling the Texas Workforce Commission Unemployment Insurance Tele-Center. The Houston phone number is 281.983.1100. TDD users can call 800.735.2989. To file for disaster- related unemployment assistance, individuals can log on to www.texasworkforce.org. Applications must be filed by Wednesday, October 15.
http://artistemergencyfund.org/
The William A. Graham Artist Emergency Fund is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established in the memory of art dealer Bill Graham whose gallery supported and promoted local and regional artists. Our mission is to provide financial assistance up to $2000 to qualifying visual artists in crisis. Emergencies include, but are not limited to: medical issues, theft, fire, or flood. The William A. Graham Artist Emergency Fund is the sole fund of its kind in Houston, and only one of a handful in the United States.
GOALS
To provide a lifeline to visual artists whose resources are limited. To enable visual artists to continue to pursue their livelihood.
WHY WE EXIST
The William A. Graham Artist Emergency Fund was founded by friends and relatives of the late art dealer, Bill Graham, to continue his legacy of support for visual artists. Prior to the founding of this Emergency Fund, there was nowhere local visual artists could turn to for money in times of crisis.
HOW WE ARE RUN
The William A. Graham Artist Emergency Fund is supported by contributions, 100% of which goes directly to artists in need. We have no paid staff. The Fund is run by an all volunteer Board of Directors comprised of artists, patrons, art professionals and other professionals. Board members serve on the following committees: Emergency Grant Review, Finance and Fundraising. We maintain this simplified from of administration because it is successful and entails virtually no expense.
Fresh Arts members have noted the unlimited amount of wood, metal, bricks and what some would call trash currently available on our streets in Ike’s wake, yet a surprising lack of creative use of these materials. Where are the Texas totem poles? What about an oversize wood chair? A currugated metal suit of armour?
As we regain our electricity and otherwise recover, we want to encourage a creative focus of energies in our community using the abundance of materials sitting on our yards and streets. Fresh Arts is calling the Greater Houston community to become cultural first responders and submit creations made from Ike remnants still littering the streets and yards of our city, celebrating the great spirit this city has shown in the wake of such devastation, and the compassion, humanism and healing that comes from making and appreciating art in our community.
Go scour the streets, yards and ditches before this amazing city completes restoration to pre-Ike status and start drilling, whittling, painting and welding your masterpiece [professional, novice and never-before artists are all welcome and encouraged!]. Email pictures of your ‘fresh art’ to info@fresharts.org with the subject line: MADE FROM IKE by Monday, October 20. All entries will be uploaded to the Fresh Arts photo album. Fresh Arts’ guest judges will select the top three and award cash prizes. Winning submission will receive $2000.
Winners will be awarded on Friday, October 24 at the MADE FROM IKE fundraiser at Caroline Collective’s courtyard, 4820 Caroline Street, from 6-8PM. Participants are encouraged to show off your fresh art and donate it to the silent auction that will take place throughout the evening where all proceeds will benefit Americans for the Arts Emergency Relief fund that helps local arts service organizations rebuild the arts in their communities.
Entries to the silent auction must be submitted on Friday, October 24 between 5-6pm at Caroline Collective’s courtyard. Businesses, organizations and individuals wishing to donate to the silent auction, please contact mandy@fresharts.org.
Houston Arts Alliance will be sponsoring the news on KUHF 88.7 during the month of October. Please listen for our spots throughout the day: NEWS THIS HOUR IS SPONSORED BY THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE…ASKING EVERYONE TO SUPPORT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AS THEY RECOVER FROM HURRICANE IKE BY ATTENDING PLAYS, CONCERTS, MUSEUMS AND FESTIVALS THROUGHOUT THE MONTH. MORE AT HAAHELPS.COM
By DOUGLAS BRITT Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Sept. 29, 2008, 5:54PM
The Houston Arts Alliance has created an “artist recovery blog” to facilitate communication between the city’s estimated 500 arts organizations and 14,000 working artists in the wake of Hurricane Ike.
Jonathon Glus, the alliance’s CEO, announced the launch of www.haahelps.com Friday at a town hall meeting held to assess the storm’s impact on the arts community. Glus and Jerome Vielman, assistant director of grants and services, presented early findings of a survey that requested information about facility and studio damage, program cancellations and postponements, suspension of fundraising activities and interruption of artists’ work.
Of the 92 arts organizations that had responded by Friday, nearly 60 percent reported wind, water or tree damage and “continued loss of power,” while 80 percent said they postponed or canceled events, and 42 percent reported lost ticket sales. More than 60 percent of the 68 individual artists who responded incurred some level of damage.
Glus said he wants the rest of the arts community to fill out the survey so HAA can conduct a full assessment of Ike’s toll.
The survey’s results, along with information about recovery resources available to artists, organizations and businesses, are posted on the blog.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING
STORM DAMAGE REPAIR WORK
(Please click here for the PDF version of this notice)
As the Houston area begins the process of cleaning up and rebuilding after Hurricane Ike, the City of Houstons Public Works Department would like to provide the following basic repair considerations:
1. Building permits are required for most types of storm damage repair work involving the structure.
2. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors who make repairs to your residential or commercial structure must be registered with the Code Enforcement office and obtain permits and inspections for the work they perform except for certain electrical and gas emergency connections. General Contractors (other than electrical, mechanical and plumbing) are not required to be registered with the City of Houston. However, Residential Contractors must be registered with the Texas Residential Construction Commission. www.trcc.state.tx.us
3. We recommended that you obtain three bids and review them carefully, including the contractors insurance, before authorizing the work.
4. Homeowners may personally apply for plumbing and mechanical permits on properties they own and occupy as their residence.
5. If electrical outlets, switches and/or the electrical service were subject to wind driven rain, a licensed electrician should examine the equipment before use. An electrical permit is not required to have a licensed electrician examine your electrical system.
To learn if any complaints have been reported against a contractor, check with the Better Business Bureau at http://www.bbbhou.org/ or call 713-868-9500.
SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOUR PROPERTY IS IN THE FLOODPLAIN YOU MUST CONTACT THE PLAN REVIEW SECTION AT 713.535.7666 BEFORE MAKING ANY REPAIRS
Repair Permit Guidelines
Structural Repairs:
Permits are NOT REQUIRED for tarping or for replacing fences (<8), paneling, flooring, insulation, wallpaper, paint, or similar finish work. And for single family residences repair of damaged non-fire-rated sheetrock is exempt.
Permits are REQUIRED if your residential or commercial structure suffered any structural damage such as walls being moved or knocked down or a roof collapse. Permits are also REQUIRED for re-roofing, and replacing doors, and windows, any sheetrock in a business or entire boards of sheetrock in residences.
Electrical Repairs:
ALL ELECTRICAL REPAIR WORK REQUIRES A PERMIT AND MUST BE COMPLETED BY A LICENSED ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. The hurricane exception will allow emergency electrical reconnections performed by Master electricians licensed by the state and registered with Code Enforcement.
Mechanical Repairs:
Permits are NOT REQUIRED for the installation or replacement of air outlet grills, thermostats, return air filters or grills.
Permits are REQUIRED for replacing condensing units and evaporator coils, or for or relocating a condensing unit from its original location, replacing a condensing unit with one of a different tonnage rating, or installing or replacing ductwork or furnaces.
Plumbing Repairs:
Permits are NOT REQUIRED for minor repairs to plumbing fixtures such as replacing gaskets in faucets or the flushing mechanism inside the toilet tank.
Permits are REQUIRED for replacing toilets, faucets, or sinks, or anytime a plumbing fixture is disconnected or reconnected to the water/wastewater system.
Permit Office Locations
Downtown: 3300 Main St. | 713.535.7733
Northwest: 3825 Dacoma | 713.686.6224
Northeast: 3915 Rustic Woods | 281.361.9580
South Temporary: Houston Police Substation | 3511 Reed Road
Note: Check the website below for temporary permit office locations on the south side of Houston.
Online: http://houstonpermits.org/ Fax: 713-535-7973
Other Related Information
To report damage to streets or bridges, damage to traffic signals or signs, low water pressure, or missing manholes or sewer grates, call the Public Works Customer Response Center at 713-837-0311 (star 600 on a cell phone).
For a list of codes and design criteria see the Forms and Publications page on the Code Enforcement website: http://www.publicworks.houstontx.gov/planning/enforcement/index.htm