The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will release disaster mitigation funds in two tranches to areas impacted by recent storms.
One tranche will include funds for Texas, Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, California, Missouri and Georgia; and the second tranche will include funds for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Once the Federal Register notice establishing the rules for accessing and deploying the funds is published, the jurisdictions in the first tranche can start designing their plans for how they will use their mitigation funds, according to HUD.
“Recovery efforts in jurisdictions prepared to do their part should not be held back due to alleged corruption, fiscal irregularities and financial mismanagement occurring in Puerto Rico and capacity issues in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which is why HUD will award disaster mitigation funds in two separate tranches,” HUD Secretary Ben Carson said in a news release. “Untangling these funds from each other will help recovery and planning move forward in communities capable of properly and prudently disbursing funds, all the while protecting taxpayers who are footing the bill.”
Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) issued a statement saying that he hopes the money will be utilized as quickly and effectively as possible.
“For North Carolina, another hurricane season has already begun,” Burr said. “It’s critical we not only continue to recover from recent hurricanes, but also address the long-term vulnerabilities of communities to better prepare for future natural disasters. This funding will provide North Carolina with much-needed flexibility to spend on critical mitigation efforts, such as strengthening our river basins and infrastructure along the coast.”
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