Houston Chronicle

City inspector, Roland Rodriguez measures room dimensions with a electronic laser tape measure to assess the damage to Marsha Farmer's home which was flooded by Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 shown Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008, in Houston. Farmer sued the City of Houston and the Houston Area Urban League after applying for help in repairing her house, which was flooded by Tropical Storm Allison. Her complaints and subsequent lawsuit over problems in the city's home repair program led to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the city recently agreed to repay $15.5 million in misspent funds from this and other federal housing programs. Farmer's house never got fixed, but might be reconsidered for a Tier 3 home if inspectors find enough damage. ( Michael Paulsen / Chronicle ) (Photo by Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)