West Street Recovery (WSR) in Houston, TX was founded after Hurricane Harvey in 2017 to provide immediate assistance and support to a devastated community. They began by rescuing and sheltering those affected, distributing supplies, and coordinating relief efforts. Harvey made landfall as a Category 4, dumping 50+ inches of rain in the Houston area, flooding more than 150,000 homes, destroying up to 1 million cars, leaving thousands of residents needing assistance to rebuild. After addressing immediate survival needs, WSR moved on to gutting homes and helped to remove the flooded furniture, walls, cabinets, and other porous materials from over 75 homes. Recognizing systemic inequalities, WSR expanded to repairing homes, advocating for policy changes, and organizing communities. In Northeast Houston – where predominantly Black and Latino families were hit especially hard by Harvey – this work has been crucial to closing long-standing recovery gaps and ensuring that all neighborhoods have a fair chance to rebuild and thrive.
West Street Recovery members helping repair homes.
With a staff of 12, a 15-person board, and over 400 volunteers, West Street Recovery is committed to bringing together people from different backgrounds, building a multiethnic and interclass community united in rebuilding and strengthening their Northeast Houston home. Their “hub house” network provides solar-powered community centers with emergency supplies to support neighbors during outages. From 2023–24, WSR invested over $1.1 million in home repairs, completing 75+ projects including roof replacements and restoring water access for families excluded from government aid. Partnering with Rice University and University of Houston, they co-hosted a 2025 symposium on flood risks and toxic pollution to inform policy. Through grassroots advocacy with their Northeast Action Collective, WSR helped overturn a 22-year-old city ordinance that had limited drainage maintenance in underserved neighborhoods, securing $28 million for needed improvements.
West Street Recovery members attending a rally.