Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced $2.7 billion to be allocated to local and state governments to help communities in hard-hit disaster areas recover. For the first time, allocations are being awarded directly to local governments to allow for quicker implementation and distribution. Only counties that were hardest hit last year by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole were awarded the money. Orange County’s hardest hit areas were in the Shingle Creek Basin (Orla Vista) and out east in the Econlockhatchee region.
Orange County will receive a total of $219.7 million. Of that, $191 million will go towards unmet needs and $28.6 million for mitigation. Mitigating stormwater drainage issues in older legacy areas could certainly cost more than $28 million. Nevertheless, it is a blessing to receive any funding from Washington, D.C., to help us here locally.
The unmet needs category includes monies for housing, infrastructure, economic revitalization, and public services. Again, as the dollars are from the unmet needs category and the storm turned southeast, most of the needs are in the Orlo Vista and far eastern portions of Orange County.
Housing activities could include new construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation of single-family or multi-family housing, buyouts, rental assistance, etc.
The infrastructure bucket of money is for public facilities or public infrastructure. There is a match requirement. Grant priorities elevate the importance of hardening non-residential public structures.
The economic revitalization piece requires funding for economic opportunities such as attracting, retaining, and revitalizing businesses or jobs in disaster-impacted areas. I recently took my grandchildren and mom to Daytona Beach Shores for a few days. I was astounded at the number of pools destroyed and the amount of beach erosion. I’m sure Volusia County will be pleased to utilize some of this Block Grant (CDBG-DR) money to repair these big tourist areas.
The final category is for public services, and it is limited to 15 percent. Funding areas include housing counseling, legal advice and representation, and job training. The amount of funding is based on damage estimates and unmet disaster recovery needs.
Another requirement is that to be a CDBG — the funding should primarily serve low-and moderate-income persons and geographic areas. And finally, the funding should benefit or be tied to the disaster for which the grant funding was allocated.
Thus, I do not hold out a lot of hope that much of the funding will reach our district or the northwest portion of the county. I still believe there is a nexus between stormwater drainage improvements and cutting down large, diseased trees. I will certainly advocate diligently to bring some of this funding to our portion of Orange County. This is important because my office has fielded numerous calls to help elderly residents in South Apopka with large trees falling on their homes. It is heartbreaking when neighbors do not take care of trees, and then the financial burden, and the tree, falls on the neighboring property. I would love to remove some old diseased trees in older, low-income areas of District 2.
The next steps for our Housing Department will be to create a project website, share data with FEMA and HUD, develop a strategy for stakeholder input, increase capacity to handle the demands of the grant, and track time and costs. Grants, while a blessing in funding, require significant time and attention from Orange County staff.
I will keep you apprised of their progress on the $219.7 million from HUD over the next few years.
