FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   July 18, 2014   Contact: Jim Williams, Housing & Human Services, 303-441-1260

Applications Available for Flood-Related Home Repair and Rental Assistance

Flood-impacted residents may be eligible for CDBG-DR funding

Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County has been awarded a first-round sum of more than $5 million in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This money is to be used to help eligible homeowners impacted by the 2013 Flood who need financial assistance with eligible projects including home repairs (septic and well systems and individual driveways, bridges, and culverts) and temporary rental assistance.

“This funding could help about 200 of the most vulnerable households in Boulder County that are still struggling to recover from the damage done by the flood,” said Boulder County Commissioner Deb Gardner. “While this round of support is limited and has strict eligibility requirements, it’s a step in the right direction and we’re optimistic we’ll get more of this funding in the future.”

Boulder County will begin accepting applications on Monday, July 21. Eligible homeowners can apply online atwww.BoulderCountyFloodGrants.org or in hard copy at various county offices beginning July 21. Note: City of Longmont residents must apply through the city.

A first round of applications will be sorted and prioritized according to level of vulnerability, and subsequent applications will be prioritized as funding is available. There is no “hard deadline” for applications. However, to be considered for the first round of prioritization, residents should submit applications no later than 4 p.m., Friday, August 15.

After submitting an application, Boulder County will follow up to collect personal documents to verify eligibility. These documents will include pay stubs, asset information, bank statements, and information about the flood-damaged property.

In order to meet federal requirements, households must meet the following criteria before they are deemed eligible for funding:

• The assistance will be used for a primary residence in Boulder County; and
• Total household income is less than 80% Area Median Income (AMI) for temporary rental assistance (priority will be given to households under 30% AMI) and less than 120% AMI for home repairs (priority will be given to households with 80% AMI or less); and
• Primary residence damage was a direct result of the 2013 Flood; or
• The household was indirectly impacted by the floods; such indirect impacts may include but are not limited to:

o   Job loss due to flooding

o   No home access even if the home itself was not damaged

Though CDBG-DR funds are available, they are limited, and will not be sufficient to assist everyone in need. With this in mind, Boulder County will implement a prioritization strategy to assure that the most vulnerable households benefit from this funding first. Here are the characteristics that can increase a household’s priority

• Household income is below 80% AMI
• Household income is below 30% AMI
• At least one elder individual in household
• At least one disabled individual in household
• Flood-impacted home was a manufactured home
• Household is a single-parent household
• At least one child under the age of 5 in household
• Military veteran in household

A second round of prioritization points will be given to reflect the urgency of the need or certain projects, including building season limitations, usefulness (bathroom, kitchen), and access-only issues.

Additional CDBG-DR funding may become available after this first round is exhausted. Applications that do not make the project list in this first round will be considered as the county receives additional grants. Applications received after August 15 will also be prioritized according to vulnerability, and may be selected for funding as additional money becomes available.

For more information about CDBG-DR applications, visit www.BoulderCountyFloodGrants.org.

–BoulderCounty.org–