Fort Myers, FL, – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has officially announced a $1.1 billion allocation of Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to support Lee County’s long-term recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Today HUD published a notice in the Federal Register detailing rules and regulations for the use of these funds.
HUD’s Federal Register notice triggers an approximate six-month process to produce a HUD-approved plan for the use of the grant funds. HUD requires Lee County to build Implementation and Action Plans that are subject to program rules specified in the Allocation Announcement Notice and other federal regulations. As part of this process, Lee County will work with municipalities, community stakeholders and residents at-large to design grant-eligible programs that will ensure funding is distributed in the most impactful manner allowed.
CDBG-DR funds may be spent on a limited number of eligible activities related to impacts from Hurricane Ian that include housing, infrastructure, economic revitalization, public services and planning. At least 70% of the grant must be used for projects that benefit Low-to-Moderate Income households, which HUD defines as a family at or below 80% of Area Median Income. For example, in Lee County a single-person household would qualify at $47,700 or less per year, whereas the limit for total household income is $68,100 per year for a family of four.
Lee County’s Office of Strategic Resources and Government Affairs has prepared a timeline describing the necessary steps before HUD releases funding and has posted the timeline at www.leegov.com/recovery/cdbg-dr. This webpage will continue to serve as an informational resource for CDBG-DR activities. Interested parties are encouraged to visit this resource periodically for updates.
Hurricane Ian made landfall in Lee County on Sept. 28, 2022.
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