HUD Approves Disaster Recovery Plans in Distressed Areas

In a bid to help communities recover from the after effects of last year’s devastating storms, flooding and tornadoes, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced the approval of multiple disaster recovery plans in several distressed areas.

Provided through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, these grants will support long-term disaster recovery efforts in communities of Alabama, Missouri, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Texas.

Alabama has been allocated $55.6 million in grants; $54 million for Missouri; North Dakota’s grants totals $79.3 million; $49 million for several communities throughout Pennsylvania; $21.6 million for Vermont’s; and Texas’ disaster recovery plan totals $31.3 million.

“Now that these plans are in place, it’s time to get down to the real business of rebuilding the housing and infrastructure damaged by last year’s tornadoes,” Edward Jennings, Jr., HUD’s Southeast Regional Administrator, said in a statement. “These communities can now begin to implement these plans and start making their neighborhoods whole again.”

Communities that were severely affected by various natural disasters such as tornadoes in the Southeast and Missouri; the remnants of Hurricanes Irene and Lee in the Northeast and New England; severe flooding in parts of North Dakota; and destructive wildfires in Texas, were identified using data provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration, HUD stated in a press release.

And with the help of these HUD-approved grants, housing, business and infrastructure needs that have not been met through other forms of public and private assistance will be taken care of, the HUD said.

In 2011, the Congress had authorized the HUD to allocate up to $100 million from the CDBG funds totaling $300 million for recovery efforts resulting from major disasters.