Hurricane Harvey One Year Later: Q&A with Shad Bogany, Ex-Houston Realtors Chair
Shad Bogany
HOUSTON – (Realty News Report) – Houston’s real estate landscape has been profoundly altered since Hurricane Harvey struck last year. Tied with Hurricane Katrina in 2005 as one of the costliest tropical cyclones on record, Harvey caused roughly $125 billion in damage, largely from up to 50 inches of rainfall. The storm flooded more than 100,000 homes and displaced thousands of residents. While economists can estimate financial losses, the emotional and social effects are harder to quantify. Has Houston real estate fully recovered from Harvey? Realty News Report spoke with Shad Bogany of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene. Bogany served as chairman of the Houston Association of Realtors Board in 2002 and as chairman of the Texas Association of Realtors in 2013. He hosts the Real Estate Corner radio show on KWWJ 1360 and 96.9 FM and previously served on the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs board.
Realty News Report: It’s been a year since Harvey. What impact has it had on Houston real estate?
Shad Bogany: I don’t think we’ve seen the full impact yet. Many neighborhoods suffered severe damage, but the long-term effects have not fully materialized because foreclosures have not yet hit the market. Currently, Houston’s real estate market is active, but that could change when more distressed properties are listed. In some neighborhoods that were once owner-occupied, repeated flooding has shifted ownership toward investors who buy damaged homes and convert them to rentals. Homeowners unwilling or unable to live in repeatedly flooded properties often sell to investors, changing the character of these communities.
Realty News Report: Were there hidden side effects that only became apparent months after Harvey?
Shad Bogany: The hidden consequences are the long-lasting damage to once-strong neighborhoods. A year later, we still haven’t fully addressed flood prevention. Many displaced residents lived in hotels and temporary housing when government assistance waned. Some return to gutted homes and face mold and unsafe conditions. I recently spoke with a 77-year-old who now lives on his home’s second floor because the rest was gutted; he lacked flood insurance and the Small Business Administration’s assistance won’t cover full repairs. Many homeowners are stuck—unable to rebuild or relocate—while neighborhoods remain gutted and vacant. Recovery will take years; although debris is cleared, places like Meyerland still feel like ghost towns in spots.
Realty News Report: So Houston has not fully recovered?
Shad Bogany: No, not yet—and it likely won’t be for many years. Selling a home now is different: buyers’ first question is often, “Has this home flooded?” Our infrastructure hasn’t been fully upgraded. Progress is slow, and political debates over priorities and funding complicate repairs and flood mitigation. Some seniors and low-income homeowners might be bought out, but relocation and affordability are major concerns. Across the region, properties that flooded in past decades sit damaged and unused. Without decisive action, some of these areas could be repurposed for stormwater retention, but for now many homes remain abandoned or deteriorating.
Realty News Report: Will some neighborhoods be permanently affected? Will repeatedly flooded homes be harder to sell in the future?
Shad Bogany: Many neighborhoods will carry long-term scars. Rising flood insurance costs would make homeownership more expensive and could discourage buyers. Ideally, disaster coverage would be rethought to better address multiple perils, but Congress has only extended the National Flood Insurance Program in short increments. Flood risk isn’t unique to Houston; it affects communities nationwide when heavy rain overwhelms drainage systems.
Realty News Report: Why do some homeowners rebuild after repeated flooding instead of moving?
Shad Bogany: There are several reasons. Many homeowners own their homes outright or have limited equity, and with higher home prices elsewhere they cannot afford to relocate. Seniors on fixed incomes may have no affordable alternatives. People also have strong ties to their neighborhoods and prefer to stay where they know their community. Ultimately, affordability and wages are central issues—without wage growth, many households face a growing affordability gap and cannot reasonably move to safer or higher-cost areas.
Realty News Report: What will Harvey’s impact be on future development and the real estate market?
Shad Bogany: New regulations, pushed by Mayor Turner, require new homes in the city’s 500-year floodplain to be raised two feet above the floodplain, while homes in the 100-year floodplain previously needed to be elevated one foot. Those changes increase construction costs and exacerbate affordability challenges. Lifting homes can add $20,000 to $30,000 or more to the price, making entry-level homeownership even harder in a market already tight below $200,000.
Realty News Report: How did Harvey affect affordable housing in Houston?
Shad Bogany: Houston faced affordability problems before Harvey, and the storm made them worse. Raising and retrofitting homes raises costs for both new construction and repairs. Rehabilitated homes in flood-prone areas may be undesirable to buyers who fear repeat flooding. Addressing infrastructure—widening and deepening bayous, improving drainage, and investing in retention systems—would tackle underlying causes and help preserve affordable housing. Progress is being made, but solutions require political will, funding, and compromise.
Realty News Report: Houstonians came together during Harvey. What defines that community spirit?
Shad Bogany: The phrase “Houston Strong” captures how people responded—neighbors helping neighbors, and volunteers arriving from across the country. Houston’s culture of resilience and risk-taking, rooted in its history and spirit, encourages community support and practical problem-solving. People learned from past disasters and mobilized quickly. That collaborative spirit is essential because recovery requires collective effort; we don’t rebuild or recover alone.
