In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Houstonians joined together to take care of one another, assist with relief efforts, and help the hardest hit among us begin to recover.

As our city enters the long-term rebuilding phase, it is important to remember that this is not just about fixing homes or putting up new infrastructure, this is also about rebuilding lives and communities.

Sadly, for too many employers in Houston's construction industry, the lives of those who will rebuild our homes don't count for much. In Houston's construction industry:

• Wage theft & worker misclassification are rampant. Unscrupulous employers misclassify employees as independent contractors to avoid their obligations to pay workers properly and pay state and federal taxes.

• Two in three construction workers don't have health insurance; 40% have no benefits of any kind - no health, retirement, paid time off, or sick leave.

• Texas' construction industry is the most dangerous for workers in the nation: More construction workers die or get injured on the job in Texas than in any other state in the U.S.

Our elected officials have an opportunity to build a city that is stronger, better, and more resilient than what was damaged. We need them to ensure that the jobs created by the rebuild effort are safe jobs with good wages and benefits, hiring for those jobs prioritizes low-income communities, contractors bidding for rebuild work are responsible, and new hires get access to nationally accredited apprenticeship and craft training programs that build sustainable construction careers.

As we rebuild the city in the wake of Harvey, the City of Houston must ensure this rebuild effort is a real investment in stronger communities, more resilient infrastructure, and a more just and equitable city. Houstonians are calling on our elected officials to ensure that the jobs created with federal rebuilding funds are safe, lead to construction careers, and give all working families a fair shot. We are calling on the City of Houston to Build Houston Better.