WASHINGTON >> On Tuesday, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) and Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02) announced that California had been awarded $212 million in federal funding to provide long-term recovery from the devastating fires of 2017.
The funding was made possible through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant — Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) program.
Congressman Thompson advocated to the administration and Congressional leadership help secure disaster relief funding through the Bipartisan Budget Act.
“Our district was hit hard by the fires of last fall, but we have come together as federal, state, and local partners to support each other, rebuild, and recover,” said Thompson. “This is about our community and the people who have been deeply impacted by these terrible disasters, and it’s why I am pleased our state has been awarded more than $200 million in CDBG disaster relief funding. Our work is not finished; I will continue working with partners from across our district as we rebuild our communities.”
Huffman added:
“From the Redwood Valley and Potter Valley fires in Mendocino to the Pocket Fire in Geyserville, to the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa, the communities we represent were hit with an indescribable level of devastation from one of the worst wildfires in our state’s history. As we join together and move forward in rebuilding our communities, houses, and lives, I’m glad to see California receive this much-needed federal support. I will continue to work with local and federal partners and advocate for all the resources that the North Coast needs during the long road to recovery.”
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awards CDBG-DR grants to support many different recovery efforts flexibly, including but not limited to housing needs, economic revitalization, and improvements to infrastructure. California will receive $212 million, with $124 million to unmet needs and $88 million for mitigation efforts. The state will determine a recovery plan allotting these funds to the most affected regions, and HUD will then approve that plan.
HUD said the grants announced to help “hard-hit” areas in nine state, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands from major disasters represent the largest single amount of disaster recovery assistance in its history.
“It’s clear that a number of states and local communities are still struggling to recover from a variety of natural disasters that occurred in the past three years,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “These grants will help rebuild communities impacted by past disasters and will also protect them from major disasters in the future.”
For a breakdown of funds awarded per state, visit www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/hud_no_18_028.
