Harrisburg, PA – Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Dennis Davin today announced nearly $10 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding awarded for disaster cleanup and redevelopment projects in three counties after experiencing a Presidentially declared disaster.

The CDBG-DR program is federally funded and provides funding for federally designated disaster areas impacted by Tropical Storm Lee and Hurricane Irene including housing rehabilitation, homebuyer assistance, housing development and other housing-related activities, infrastructure improvements, economic development and planning, and technical assistance activities.

CDBG-DR program funding was awarded to the following counties for mitigation Infrastructure projects:

• $2,812,762.84 for Schuylkill County
• $445,000 for the Town of Bloomsburg (Columbia County)

CDBG-DR program funding was awarded to the following counties for housing projects:

• $3,309,074 for Wyoming County
• $3,125,438 for Columbia County

Additionally, DCED and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) are approving over $4 million in grants for communities to acquire homes to avoid future losses from flooding.

The homes in the projects listed below were selected by grant-eligible communities. PEMA and DCED assisted in the application development process. A total of 31 homeowners will have the opportunity to participate in the buyout program using up to $4.2 million in CDBG–DR funding through DCED. It is important to note that homeowners may at any time voluntarily decline to participate in the program, and the numbers below may fluctuate as a result.

“This federal funding is an invaluable tool that we are always eager to put in the hands of trusted community organizations that can address homelessness and disaster recovery issues on the ground,” said Sec. Davin. “These resources assist communities in strategic and preventative efforts that can help strengthen neighborhoods and make them safer for residents to live, work, and play in.”

Columbia County

Columbia County received over $2,957,348 to acquire 22 single-family homes located in a floodway, flood-prone area, or determined to have experienced severe repetitive loss or repetitive loss as a result of past flooding events.

Lycoming County

Lycoming County received $912,000 to acquire and demolish six residential structures in Muncy Borough within a floodway and floodplain areas.

Montour County

Montour County received $352,000 to address three flood prone properties that exist outside of levee protection in Danville Borough. These single-family residences suffered flood losses in 2011.

“Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee hit Pennsylvania ten years ago, and yet we are still actively working through the long-term recovery process,” said PEMA Director Randy Padfield. “These grants are another step in enhancing safety with mitigation projects that keep communities and people safe.”

PEMA will administer these funds directly with the municipal grant recipients and continue to work with DCED personnel to ensure an expedited process to move homeowners and tenants out of these high-risk areas using these awarded funds and to restore the floodplain to its natural state and ensure the safety of those near vulnerable areas.

For more information about the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT: Rachel Wrigley, DCED, rwrigley@pa.gov

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