HUD announced in a December 3 press release that it had allocated over $2.3 billion in federal funds to support long-term disaster recovery in fifteen states and four territories. The funding, which will support recovery from the 2017, 2018, and 2019 disasters, are allocated through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, one of the most important and targeted sources of funding for long-term disaster recovery. Before each jurisdiction gains access to the funds, HUD will need to publish federal guidelines governing the funds and subsequently approve state action plans detailing how the funds will be used. California topped the list of grantees, receiving over $525 million for wildfire recovery.
While the release of resources are welcomed for the parts of the country that will benefit, HUD’s announcement sparked outrage from both advocates and members of Congress about the agency’s continued refusal to release recovery dollars for Puerto Rico.
“More than two years after Hurricane Maria destroyed their homes, businesses, and public infrastructure, Americans in Puerto Rico are still without much-needed relief and recovery assistance because of perpetual – and illegal – stonewalling by the Trump administration,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) at a press conference. “The administration must immediately comply with the law and issue the mitigation notice needed for Puerto Rico to access critical disaster aid.”
The NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition – consisting of over 850 local, state, and national organizations working in disaster housing recover – released a press statement condemning the continued delay. “It is outrageous that Secretary Carson continues to withhold critical mitigation funding for Puerto Rico approved by Congress nearly two years ago,” NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel said in the statement. “Secretary Carson’s decision to ignore Congress and refuse to release these funds makes it nearly impossible for Puerto Ricans to prepare for future disasters. Congress must hold him accountable – every day of inaction puts American lives at risk.”
HUD has continually pushed back the timeline for the release of funds for Puerto Rico, the only jurisdiction in the country to experience such a delay. The House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development recently held a hearing on HUD’s decision to ignore a congressional statute requiring the agency to release the funding earlier this year. Although HUD representatives blame delays on corruption in Puerto Rico, no such allegations have been levied at agencies that would handle the recovery funding. Members of Congress, advocates, and Puerto Ricans across the country continue to push for the release of these badly needed funds. It has been over two years since Hurricane Maria struck the territory.
Read the DHRC’s statement at: https://bit.ly/2DZhB5x
Watch the House Committee on Appropriation’s press conference at: https://bit.ly/2E4JzNz
Read a fact sheet on Hurricane Maria recovery at: https://bit.ly/33ZqDKq
Read the HUD press release at: https://bit.ly/2DRldXt