Disaster Services supports Greater Houston’s diverse arts and cultural communities and the neighborhoods they enrich by helping them prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises as part of the broader Resilience & Recovery Division.
Crises can happen at any time, with or without warning. Recovery often takes years, and the creative community may find themselves adapting to lasting changes.
Created in response to the lessons of Hurricane Harvey and the unique challenges the creative community face during disasters, Disaster Services is a focus area within the Resilience & Recovery Division that helps close recovery gaps and connect the arts and cultural sector to emergency response systems.
As part of Houston Arts Alliance’s Resilience & Recovery Division, Disaster Services is among the nation’s first year-round efforts dedicated to protecting and strengthening the arts and cultural sector before, during, and after disasters.
Through partnerships across Texas and beyond, we help the creative community across Greater Houston prepare for disruptions, respond during crises, recover after disasters, and build long-term resilience.
The creative community includes individuals working across performing arts, visual and digital arts, literary arts, cultural heritage, and design. This includes anyone whose work contributes to creating, presenting, preserving, or supporting art and culture.
Image Courtesy of Zine Fest Houston, Festival Grantee 2024
If you are an artist, creative professional, culture worker, arts organization, cultural institution, or heritage organization affected by an emergency or disaster, please use the Arts and Cultural Situation Awareness Form below to let us know what happened and what support may be needed. Your report helps Houston Arts Alliance better understand the impact across the arts and cultural sector and share accurate information with partners, funders, and public agencies working on response and recovery.
Please note: This form is for impact reporting and situational awareness only. It is not an application for financial assistance, FEMA assistance, or other direct services. Submitting this form does not guarantee funding, services, or follow-up; however, the information you provide will help inform future recovery resources, advocacy, and support opportunities.
The Supporting Our Arts Recovery (SOAR) Program provides emergency financial assistance to artists and creative workers affected by disasters and emergencies.
Managed by Houston Arts Alliance’s Resilience & Recovery Division, SOAR helps address unmet needs when other resources, such as insurance, government assistance, or nonprofit support, are unavailable or do not fully cover recovery costs. Funding is flexible and based on individual circumstances, helping creatives stabilize, recover, and continue their work.
SOAR is not an ongoing assistance program. It is activated only when a qualifying disaster or emergency occurs and conditions warrant a response. This approach ensures limited resources are directed where they are needed most and used in accordance with program guidelines.
Before submitting an application, please review all eligibility requirements and gather the required documentation. Having complete and accurate information ready will help ensure a timely review of your request.
In addition to emergency preparedness and crisis response, HAA now offers more professional development, helping artists build the skills they need to navigate challenges. At the same time, our advocacy initiatives help make sure artists’ needs are heard in emergency management and funding decisions. Together, these three pillars reflect HAA’s growth and help build a stronger, more resilient creative community.
By helping artists prepare, recover, grow, and be heard, HAA is working toward a stronger, more connected, and more sustainable creative sector for Houston.
Your support helps create sustainable resources for preparedness, rapid response, recovery, and long-term growth across Houston’s creative community.
To support this critical work, please consider making a contribution that is meaningful to you.
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