Hurricane Harvey’s epic flooding last year hammered low-lying parts of Houston. But the storm spared other areas, and now, the difference is playing out in housing market reality. The Houston Chronicle had this report (see: “Harvey ushered in a new reality for Houston real estate,” by Nancy Sarnoff).

Some flooded homeowners have the funds to repair and elevate their existing houses, or tear down and rebuild their homes on elevated foundations. But the new elevated houses sit side by side with homes that are still sitting at the existing grade. “Nobody wants to build houses that flood, but at the same time the way that we’ve approached this thus far is that we are providing protection for people who can afford it,” commented housing consultant Scott Davis. “And without addressing some of those regional detention and conveyance issues, we’re not going to be able to bring the same kind of protection to neighborhoods where people don’t have the resources to absorb an extra hundred thousand dollars in foundation costs.”