Federal Government provides $12 billion in disaster relief including $96 million for Cicero flood mediation

The Federal Government on Wednesday provided more than $12 billion to address disaster relief to 24 states and funds to support emergency responses in Chicago, Cook County and the Town of Cicero. Cicero received $96 million in the disbursement grant, the largest provided to any municipality outside of Chicago to deal with flood mitigation. The flood award to Cicero is a direct result of Cicero President Larry Dominick’s efforts to raise the flooding concerns with both the county, state and Federal governments.

Town President Larry Dominick on Wednesday announced that Cicero has received a $96 million Federal Grant to help the community address flooding challenges caused by regional issues.

The Federal Grant was announced by officials of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at a press conference on Wednesday intended to provide disaster relief to states and several communities, and presented to town officials.

Dominick said the Federal funds are a direct result of the Town’s more than a year-long effort to force the government to recognize the need to address and support anti-flood measures.

The West suburban region was hit hard by heavy rains in July 2023 causing flooding in nearly every community including in the Town of Cicero. Rainfall of more than 8 inches set records for the region and impacted nearly 7,000 residents who reported rain-related damage to their properties in a program organized by Dominick to strengthen the Town’s demand for Federal and State money to support anti-flooding measures.

 

“We fought long and hard to convince the Federal government and the State of Illinois to provide the money we need to counter these regional flooding challenges that impact our residents and businesses,” Dominick said Wednesday.

“The flooding we saw in July 2023 set records for rainfall and impacted many communities in the West suburbs. We were able to organize our community, document the damage, secure initial funding to help thousands of residents, and make a case that we believe has led to this significant anti-flood Federal Grant award. It’s an example of how the Town, the residents and all of our regional elected officials, including State Rep. Lisa Hernandez, came together to ensure that our needs were not forgotten.”

The press conference was welcomed by town officials including Clerk Maria Punzo-Arias, Supervisor Joe Virruso, Assessor Emilio Cundari, Collector Fran Reitz and Trustees Victor Garcia, Bob Porod, John Cava and Blanca Vargas. It was held in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side.

HUD officials detailed the allocation of nearly $12 billion in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to address emergencies that took place in communities across the nation including in the Town of Cicero.

The $96 million awarded to the Town of Cicero is one of the largest grant awards given to a municipality in the $12 billion disbursement. Money was provided to Chicago, Cook County and mainly to 24 state governments.

“I believe that by coming together the way we did, we made a strong case to the Federal Government that they needed to step up to the plate and not put the burden of addressing the region’s flooding problems on local property owners,” Dominick said.

“This was an issue that demanded national attention. I feel we did our best to ensure our voices were heard loud and clear in Washington D.C.”

After the July 2023 floods, Cicero took many additional actions to address flooding concerns.

Dominick organized a Town-wide damage-assessment campaign to help every resident document their flood damage in order to strengthen the Town’s case to justify Federal support.

Between July and October 2023, the Town of Cicero helped nearly 7,000 residents complete damage assessment forms which were provided to the state and to the Federal Government.

Additionally, Dominick and the Town of Cicero board allocated more than $1.1 million from existing revenues, without increasing property taxes or fees, to help in flood mitigation.

Dominick also earmarked $21 million from its “American Rescue Plan” Act (ARP) funding for water, sewer, and other infrastructure improvements. Funding has been used to expand the Town’s Green Alley program which creates an alley base that absorbs excessive rainwater.

Additionally, Dominick proposed state legislation to create the “West Cook Flood Prevention District” which would work to ensure the efficient drainage of stormwater and sewer water to prevent future flooding in Cicero, and portions of Berwyn, Oak Park, and Chicago.

Dominick also hosted several public hearings that included state and regional officials including the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), and the Town worked with support agencies from the Red Cross to “Team Rubicon” which provided volunteers who helped repair major damage to dozens of town homes.

For more information, visit www.TheTownofCicero.com.

Press release from HUD

Biden-Harris Administration Delivers $12 Billion in Long-Term Assistance to Communities Impacted by Disasters

Funds will support recovery from Lahaina Wildfire, Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, and other 2023 & 2024 disasters

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the allocation of nearly $12 billion in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for communities across 24 states and territories. To provide guidance for the implementation of this funding, HUD also published the Universal Notice for Community Development Block Grants – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR).

HUD Agency Head Adrianne Todman announced these critical funds today in Asheville, North Carolina, alongside Gov. Josh Stein. To support recovery from Hurricane Helene, HUD allocated more than $1.6 billion to communities across North Carolina, including $225 million to the city of Asheville and $1.2 billion to the state for disaster impacted communities statewide. These funds are critical – with tens of thousands of houses damaged or destroyed, more than 12,000 western North Carolinians are without safe housing.

“Over the last two years, too many communities have been impacted by devastating disasters – damaging homes, destroying infrastructure, and stretching local capacity to recover,” said HUD Agency Head, the Honorable Adrianne Todman. “This $12 billion in disaster discovery funds will help rebuild homes, develop affordable housing, assist impacted small businesses, and repair roads, schools, water treatment plants and other critical infrastructure. The impacts of these funds will be felt for years to come – especially for disaster survivors and communities in the most impacted areas.”

The Universal Notice will strengthen and improve the administration of CDBG-DR, incorporating feedback received from grantees, stakeholders, and survivors of disasters. For the first time ever, HUD requested public input through the 2022 Request for Information on CDBG-DR Rules, Waivers, and Alternative Requirements. HUD received more than 700 unique comments offering feedback on how to make disaster recovery faster and more efficient, effective, resilient, and equitable. 

“As Appropriations Chair, I worked hard to ensure the passage of a bill that would deliver meaningful disaster relief for real people who need help as soon as possible, said Senator Patty Murray, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Today’s announcement is welcome news to communities across the country – including Spokane County in my home state – that have been struck by disaster and are counting on federal support to rebuild and get back on their feet,” said Senator Patty Murray, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This funding will help rebuild homes for families in dire need, help rebuild schools so kids can learn, help small businesses reopen their doors, and help repair critical infrastructure that communities everywhere count on each and every day.”

“Every community that’s been struck by a disaster needs and deserves help and that’s exactly what CDBG-DR funding provides, said Senator Brian Schatz, Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development. For decades, CDBG-DR has been a lifeline for communities building back from devastation, helping survivors rebuild their homes, small businesses, and communities. This new funding will help survivors across the country, including in Lahaina, get back on their feet as quickly as possible.”

This critical allocation of CDBG-DR funding and the guidance in the Universal Notice will enable 47 grantees – including 23 states, 15 counties, 8 cities, and one territory – to recover from and build resilience to weather-related disasters. CDBG-DR funding supports disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, economic revitalization, and mitigation, in the most impacted and distressed areas.

As the only federal disaster recovery assistance to primarily benefit low- and moderate-income households and communities, CDBG- DR funding can be used to:

• Replace damaged affordable housing and build it back more resiliently.
• Strengthen infrastructure through repairs, upgrades, and activities to increase the resilience of public facilities and infrastructure including roadways, water systems, and utilities.
• Support economic revitalization including support for small businesses, creation of jobs, and assistance for residents.
• Implement disaster mitigation measures to reduce risk of damage from future extreme weather and disaster events.

“The Universal Notice published today reflects the input of communities and professionals who have been through the process of recovery and makes dozens of survivor-centered improvements to accelerate recovery.” said Marion McFadden, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development. “I’m proud to say that we did everything we could – absent permanent authorization by Congress – to strengthen the program, reduce red-tape, and support survivors as they rebuild.”

Until HUD receives permanent authorization of the CDBG-DR program, the Universal Notice is intended to provide publicly informed, consistent guidance for communities recovering from disasters. The Universal Notice incorporates many of the public’s comments and recommendations, including updates to:

• Improve outcomes, increasing access to information, and simplifying documentation requirements for disaster survivors
• Expand and extend eligible activities for rental assistance and disaster relief, including allowing reimbursement for these expenses.
• Create new eligible activities for local disaster preparedness and resilience.
• Align more closely with FEMA requirements for environmental reviews and community-driven relocation.
• Streamline Action Plan requirements, and encouraging broader community engagement in the Action Plan Formation process.
• Reduce administrative burden on grantees, creating greater flexibility regarding building standards, implementation requirements, and financial management procedures.

Today’s announcement builds upon actions taken to streamline HUD’s disaster recovery and resilience work. The public comments received through the Request for Information highlight key opportunities for improvement. In response, HUD has taken action to incorporate public feedback and strengthen the CDBG-DR program for years to come.

Specifically, HUD will continue its partnership with FEMA on the Pre-Disaster Housing Initiative, which helps states develop plans to boost their pre-disaster housing capabilities. HUD will be announcing a Universal Notice Webinar Series that will take grantees and the public through the steps outlined in the Universal Notice and ensure they are ready to immediately begin the development of their CDBG-DR Action Plans. HUD will also provide grantees with an Action Plan Template to support their overall design and creation of the required components of the plan.

The Universal Notice also implements a Congressional directive to allow grantees to adopt any other Federal agency environmental review, when using CDBG-DR funds to supplement another Federal project. This new broader adoption will save time and money for grantees using multiple sources of Federal assistance in one disaster recovery project. Additionally, HUD is finalizing its plans to introduce a data portal to speed up the process of sharing FEMA data with CDBG-DR grantees, this data portal will be available to grantees later this year. To learn how HUD has responded to the comments received through the Request for Information visit HUD’s website here. 

By increasing coordination, reducing bureaucracy, and increasing capacity to get recovery funding to communities more quickly, HUD is facilitating collaborative, transparent disaster recovery and mitigation. TABLE: HUD Allocates Nearly $12 Billion to States and Communities to Assist with Disaster Recovery through Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Allocations

The allocated funds will help the most impacted and distressed communities in 23 states and one territory fill the funding gaps in disaster recovery and mitigation not covered by insurance and other federal and local sources. The total allocation amount is based on a formula which considers an estimate of unmet needs for housing, economic revitalization, and infrastructure plus an additional 15 percent for mitigation activities.

State	Disaster Number	Grantees	Allocation Total
AK	Floods (4730, 4836)	State of Alaska	$18,676,000
AR	Severe Storms (4698, 4788)	State of Arkansas	$59,048,000
		Little Rock	$20,895,000
CA	Severe Storm (4699); Winter Storm (4707); Flood (4758)	State of California	$416,597,000
FL	Flood (4709); Hurricane Idalia (4734); Severe Storm (4794); Tropical Storm (4806); Hurricane Helene (4828); Hurricane Milton (4834)	State of Florida	$925,394,000
		Broward County	$29,222,000
		Fort Lauderdale	$88,051,000
		Hillsborough County	$709,324,000
		Lee County	$100,683,000
		Manatee County	$252,711,000
		Orange County	$33,357,000
		Pasco County	$585,704,000
		Pinellas County	$813,783,000
		St Petersburg	$159,884,000
		Sarasota County	$210,094,000
		Volusia County	$133,515,000
GA	Hurricane Idalia (4738); Tropical Storm (4821); Hurricane Helene (4830)	State of Georgia	$265,726,000
GU	Typhoon Mawar (4715)	Guam	$500,825,000
HI	Hawaii Wildfires (4724)	Maui County	$1,639,381,000
IA	Severe Storm (4796)	State of Iowa	$134,687,000
IL	Severe Storm (4728); Flood (4749); Flood (4819)	Chicago	$426,608,000
		Cicero	$96,004,000
		Cook County	$244,162,000
		St. Clair County	$89,533,000
IN	Severe Storm (4704)	State of Indiana	$7,663,000
LA	Hurricane Francine (4817)	State of Louisiana	$117,946,000
MA	Flood (4780)	Commonwealth of Massachusetts	$7,954,000
MI	Flood (4757)	State of Michigan	$43,570,000
		Detroit	$346,864,000
		Wayne County	$70,382,000
MS	Severe Storm (4697); Severe Storm (4727); Severe Storm (4790)	State of Mississippi	$134,953,000
NC	Tropical Storm Helene (4827)	State of North Carolina	$1,428,120,000
		Asheville	$225,010,000
NM	South Fork Fire and Salt Fire (4795); Flood (4843)	State of New Mexico	$137,178,000
OH	Tornado (4777)	State of Ohio	$14,116,000
OK	Tornado (4706); Tornado (4776)	State of Oklahoma	$39,405,000
PA	Tropical Storm (4815)	Commonwealth of Pennsylvania	$14,620,000
SC	Hurricane Helene (4829)	State of South Carolina	$150,354,000
SD	Flood (4807)	State of South Dakota	$15,375,000
TN	Severe Storm (4751); Tropical Storm Helene (4832)	State of Tennessee	$85,738,000
TX	Flood (4781); Hurricane Beryl (4798)	State of Texas	$555,687,000
		Harris County	$67,326,000
		Houston	$314,645,000
VA	Tropical Storm Helene (4831)	Commonwealth of Virginia	$46,670,000
VT	Flood (4720)	State of Vermont	$67,845,000
WA	Fire (4759)	Spokane County, WA	$44,152,000

In addition to the allocations above, HUD is announcing additional funding for the following grantees whoreceived partial allocations for disasters occurring in 2023 using prior year appropriations (PL 117-328). These three grants will be administered under the same requirements as their previous allocations.

State	Disaster(s)	Grantees	Allocation Total
AL	Severe Storm (4684)	State of Alabama	$7,719,000
CA	Flood (4683)	State of California	$85,349,000
GA	Severe Storm (4685)	State of Georgia	$9,346,000

For more information on disaster declarations and designated areas covered by disasters receiving funding, please visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/declarations.