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September 20, 2018 3:58 PM

State Department of Housing to hold Public Meeting in Santa Rosa on Disaster Recovery Program

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is holding a public meeting in Santa Rosa on October 2, 2018,  to provide an overview of the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program for residents of Sonoma County and the City of Santa Rosa who were impacted by wildfires in October 2017.

HCD is the grantee of CDBG-DR funds allocated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and works with local governments and organizations to fund programs that provide long-term recovery assistance for housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization. At this meeting, HCD will discuss proposed recovery programs, program eligibility, and the timeline for funding for FEMA disasters DR-4344 and DR-4353.

The meeting will take place on October 2, 2018, at the City of Santa Rosa’s Utilities Field Operations Center Utilities Training Rooms A, F & M, 35 Stony Point Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 from 6pm-8pm.

  • This is a public meeting and all interested parties are welcome. Impacted households, the general public, business and nonprofit leaders are invited to attend.
  • To request translation services or for hearing or visual assistance, please contact Susan.Naramore@hcd.ca.gov.
  • If you would like more information on the CDBG-DR program, visit HCD’s website.
  • To submit public comment, email: DisasterRecovery@hcd.ca.gov.

While Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) and the California Office of Emergency Services provide immediate post-disaster response and emergency management services, CDBG-DR funds provide funds for long term disaster recovery.

The CDBG Program provides annual grants to states, cities, and counties to develop viable communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons. CDBG-DR funds are based on disaster impacts and are for the purpose of addressing the long-term recovery needs of a community.

CDBG-DR funds may be used for housing, restoration of infrastructure, economic revitalization, planning, public services, and disaster preparedness.

HUD appropriated $212,374,000 in CDBG-DR funds to the state of California to address impacts from disasters that occurred in 2017, including the wildfires in Sonoma County. Of the total, $124,155,000 is intended to address unmet recovery needs and $88,219,000 is to be used for preparedness and mitigation needs.