The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded nearly $1.5 billion to support seven states in their recovery from major disasters that occurred last year, including Hurricane Michael, Hurricane Florence and devastating wildfires in California, HUD announced in a press release.
The funds are provided through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program and will address seriously damaged housing, businesses and infrastructure in hard-hit areas of these states. The CDBG-DR Program requires grantees to develop thoughtful recovery plans informed by local residents.
“Last year’s disasters left damaged homes, businesses and infrastructure in their wake,” HUD Secretary Ben Carson said in the release. “These recovery dollars will help the hardest-hit communities in these states and allow for residents to put their lives back together again.”
In addition to California, other states receiving fund relief were Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Georgia and Hawaii.
On Oct. 5, 2018, President Donald Trump signed Public Law 115-254, which provided $1.68 billion in CDBG-DR funding for “disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, and economic revitalization in the most impacted and distressed areas resulting from a major disaster declared in 2018.”
In addition to these funds allocated above, HUD will provide an additional $205 million later in the year following a comprehensive analysis of the recovery needs in American Samoa and the Northern Marianas.