HUD APPROVES THREE NEW YORK DISASTER RECOVERY PLANS
$93.2 million to help communities in Empire State to rebuild from 2011 storms

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced the approval of the three disaster recovery plans totaling more than $93 million in emergency aid to help several communities throughout New York, specifically Orange County and the Town of Union, to recover from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. With the acceptance of these disaster plans, the real work of long-term disaster recovery throughout New York can now begin.

Provided through HUD's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, these grants will support long-term disaster recovery efforts in local communities devastated by last year's disasters.

"Now that these plans are in place, it's time to get down to the real business of rebuilding the housing and infrastructure damaged by last year's terrible storms," said Mirza Orriols, HUD's Acting Regional Administrator. "New York, and most especially Orange County and the Town of Union can now begin to make their neighborhoods whole again."

On November 18, 2011, Congress appropriated $300 million in CDBG funds to support long-term disaster recovery throughout the nation. At that same time, Congress gave HUD the authority to allocate up to $100 million in additional CDBG funds to assist "the most impacted and distressed areas" in the wake of last year's disasters. Secretary Shaun Donovan elected to exercise HUD's full authority by targeting the maximum amount of CDBG funding allowed toward helping these states and local areas.

These funds are intended to confront unmet housing, business and infrastructure needs beyond those addressed by other forms of public and private assistance. Using a combination of federal data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), HUD identified those states and local communities most impacted and requiring the greatest assistance to recover due to the devastating tornadoes in the Southeast and Missouri; the remnants of Hurricanes Irene and Lee in the Northeast and New England; severe flooding in parts of North Dakota; and destructive wildfires in Texas.

Earlier this year, HUD allocated $71,654,116 to the State of New York and will target at least 80 percent of these funds to assist Schoharie, Tioga, Broome, Greene, and/or Orange Counties in recovering from the extensive flooding from Hurricane Irene and the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee. In addition, Orange County will receive $11,422,029 and the Town of Union will receive $10,137,818 directly from HUD to support recovery efforts.

• For more information, read the State of New York's disaster recovery plan. (www.nyshcr.org/Publications/ActionPlan12/CDBGDRActionPlan2012.pdf)
• For more information, read the Orange County's disaster recovery plan. (www.co.orange.ny.us/filestorage/124/620/Final_CDBG-DR_Action_Plan_-_July_20,_2012.pdf)
• For more information, read the Town of Union's disaster recovery plan. (www.townofunion.com/documents/TOUDisasterRecoveryPlan8-29-12PMSinglePageFormatAMENDMENT1.pdf)

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