FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Office of Gov. John Hickenlooper
Val Beck, val.beck@state.co.us
Gov. John Hickenlooper submitted today the Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Partial Action Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The State must submit the Partial Action Plan before receiving the $62.8 million in CDBG-DR Funds that HUD allocated to flood impacted communities in Colorado. The money will go toward needs not addressed through other sources of federal assistance, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“We are submitting our action plan 30 days in advance of our deadline in an effort to expedite the money coming to Colorado,” Hickenlooper said. “The CDBG-DR funds are critical to the recovery effort. Our Action Plan will allow homeowners, businesses and communities to prioritize their unmet needs and apply to the State based on those community priorities.”
Colorado’s CDBG-DR Partial Action Plan provides for grant and loan programs that will be available to flood impacted communities in housing, infrastructure and economic development. The initial allocation of the $62.8 million was announced during a December 2013 visit to Colorado from HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.
In a letter to Donovan, Hickenlooper thanked him and the Colorado Congressional Delegation for their “partnership and leadership” in bringing these important disaster recovery funds to Colorado. Hickenlooper acknowledged in the letter the public’s valuable feedback incorporated into the Partial Action Plan, “Coloradans are resilient and their commitment to building back stronger and better is reflected in this Action Plan.”
HUD requires that 50 percent of the CDBG-DR funds benefit low- to moderate-income households and that 80 percent of the funds be distributed in Boulder, Larimer and Weld counties. The remaining 20 percent can be distributed among the other 11 counties in the September Presidential Declaration.
HUD has up to 45 days to approve Colorado’s Initial Partial Action Plan, making funds available sometime in April. The Partial Action Plan, eligibility requirements and the application process for these funds can be found online at http://dola.colorado.gov/cdbg-dr.
