Governor Scott and Congressional Delegation Announce Over $49 Million in Disaster Recovery Block Grants

Montpelier, Vt. - Governor Phil Scott, Senator Sanders, Senator Welch, Congresswoman Balint, and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) yesterday announced the first round of Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grant awards in response to the July 2023 floods. These funds will benefit communities most impacted by the floods in regions designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in consultation with state officials. The designated Most Impacted and Distressed (MID) areas include Lamoille, Washington, Caledonia, Orleans, Rutland, Windham, and Windsor counties.

"Just over two years ago, many areas of the state were devastated by flooding we hadn't seen since Irene. During that time, and for months after, we worked closely with FEMA who were helpful in bringing immediate resources and support in the aftermath," said Governor Phil Scott. "But, it was clear more funding would be needed to mitigate the effects. As a small state, we have limited resources, which is why the CDBG-DR funding is so important to address some of our immediate challenges."

"Vermonters continue to rebuild their homes, businesses and communities in the wake of the devastating 2023 floods - the worst natural disaster in our state since 1927. The recovery process is expensive and this federal funding is absolutely essential for cities and towns across our state," said Senator Bernie Sanders."By investing in essential infrastructure, economic revitalization and mitigation against future disasters, this funding will help Vermonters rebuild stronger than before. I am proud to have helped champion this funding and will continue to demand that the federal government stand with people throughout our country in their times of need - especially after natural disasters like the ones we've experienced in Vermont."

"The July 2023 floods were brutal, wrecking the homes and livelihoods of thousands of Vermonters across our state. This federal funding will be a lifeline for folks still working to recover from devastating flooding. From investing in much-needed housing and infrastructure projects to supporting flood mitigation efforts, these funds will support flood-impacted communities and make our state more resilient to extreme weather," said Senator Peter Welch. "I'm proud to have played a part in securing these crucial resources that will make a real difference in the lives of flood-impacted communities."

"I'm proud to have worked with the federal delegation to bring this critical federal funding home to Vermont. Climate change is here, and this money will allow communities hit hard by the 2023 flooding to build back more resiliently," said Representative Becca Balint (VT-At Large). "I will not stop fighting to help Vermonters get the federal help we need to rebuild from climate disasters."

The $49,991,445 in grant awards will fund 25 transformative projects across four program areas:

• Housing: projects will fund the new construction, rehabilitation, or preservation of close to 200 housing units in impacted communities.
• Infrastructure: funding will enable the reconstruction of resilient infrastructure such as municipal well fields serving hospitals, bridge upsizing, and brownfield remediation to enable FEMA buyouts to proceed.
• Mitigation: projects include dam removal in addition to floodplain restoration and expansion that will reduce flooding in historic downtowns.
• Planning: planning activities will move housing and infrastructure projects towards shovel-readiness, as well as enabling cutting edge hydrology studies of the Winooski watershed for future flood mitigation efforts.

For a full list of project awards, visit the CDBG - Disaster Recovery Webpage.

There will be a second round of CDBG-DR funding available for Housing Proposals, with $14,461,305 available in grant funds for round two. These funds are available to Municipalities, Private Developers, and Non-Profit Housing Organizations. More information on how to apply and application timelines can be found on the CDBG - Disaster Recovery Webpage.

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