The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today issued the Allocations for Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery and Implementation of the CDBG-DR Consolidated Waivers and Alternative Requirements Notice [“2020 CDBG-DR Notice”], a critical step taken by the department to open access to more than $2 billion in federal funds to help communities equitably recover and improve long-term resilience to disasters and future climate impacts.
HUD’s Consolidated Notice, which lays out requirements for the use of these disaster recovery and mitigation funds, will require Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grantees to incorporate disaster mitigation measures into all recovery activities involving construction and to advance equitable distribution of the disaster recovery assistance.
“As our nation continues to grapple with disasters ranging from hurricanes to wildfires, HUD is aware of the urgent need for equitable recovery and resilience,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “HUD’s consolidated notice ensures that climate justice and racial equity remain central in our work to deliver swift recovery and keep resiliency at the forefront. The Department looks forward to continuing to work with communities so that they can get their disaster recovery and mitigation funds as quickly as possible.”
Low-income residents and people of color often bear more of the impact when climate-related disasters strike. Responding to this fact, HUD’s Consolidated Notice will accelerate community recovery and ensure that inclusive resilience and mitigation remain central to disaster recovery. Beyond the Consolidated Notice, HUD recognizes equitable resilience as a core component of its Climate Action Plan, an agency-wide strategy to advance climate adaptation and resilience, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and deliver environmental justice.
The Consolidated Notice applies to the more than $2 billion in CDBG-DR funds allocated by the Department in November 2021 and funds appropriated in the continuing resolution, the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (PL 117-43; the Act), signed into law on September 30, 2021. That allocation was made to 10 states covering 15 separate major disasters that occurred calendar year 2020. A list of those states, allocations, and disasters covered is available here.
PL 117-43 appropriated a total of $5 billion in CDBG-DR funds with a focus on mitigation for major disasters that occurred in 2020 and 2021. Allocation of the remaining funds will be made over the next few months to address unmet needs from disasters occurring in 2021.
This announcement affirms HUD’s commitment with the Biden-Harris Administration to ensure that our climate and equity goals for the nation are met through increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change; protecting public health; conserving lands, waters, and biodiversity; and spurring economic growth.
The CDBG-DR/MIT program is vital to building climate resilience in low- and moderate-income communities. The program, along with this consolidated notice, has a unique focus on long-term recovery and resilience efforts targeted towards underserved, and at-risk populations.