FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   June 11, 2015

Media Contact: Jamie Portelle, Flood Recovery Program Assistant, 720-564-2294

Flood Recovery Grants Still Available for Boulder County Residents

Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County has been awarded an additional $12 million in the form of the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help eligible homeowners who need financial assistance with eligible projects including home repairs (septic and well systems, and individual driveways, bridges, and culverts) and temporary rental assistance. These funds are only available to help with recovery needs resulting from the 2013 Flood and not for any damages resulting from subsequent storms.

CDBG-DR Program Updates

Over the past year there have been many positive updates to the CDBG-DR program:

• For households with 80% Area Median Income (AMI) or below (see AMI chart below), the original forgivable loan program for CDBG-DR has now transitioned to grant funding which does not require payback of funds.
• All funding awards for eligible home access projects (bridge repair or replacement) are now in the form of grants (with some use restrictions).
• Some rental units are now eligible for rehabilitation/repairs.

In addition, the Boulder County CDBG-DR team is working to reduce the amount of paperwork and documentation required to determine eligibility. If successful, this could significantly improve the application experience.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to qualify for CDBG-DR assistance, households must meet the eligibility criteria listed below:

• The assistance sought is for a primary residence that is in Boulder County (please note: Longmont residents will receive direct assistance from the City of Longmont); and
• The primary residence was directly impacted by the 2013 Flood; and
• For temporary rental assistance only: the total household annual gross income is less than 80% AMI (priority will be given to households under 30% AMI).

AMI Graph

Prioritization

Though more CDBG-DR funds are available, they are limited and will not be sufficient to assist everyone in need. The federal government has developed the following additional guidelines to help identify the most vulnerable households. Households will be given priority if they meet any of the criteria listed below:

• Household annual gross income is below 30% AMI
• Household annual gross income is below 80% AMI
• At least one elderly individual in the household
• At least one disabled individual in the household
• The flood-impacted home was a manufactured home

Boulder County is also using the following additional guidelines. Households will be given higher priority if:

• The household is a single-parent household
• At least one child under the age of 5 in the household
• There is a military veteran in the household

How to Apply

Applications are available online at www.BoulderCountyFloodGrants.org. Upon completion, applications can be emailed or printed and mailed to the address listed below.

Upon the receipt of an application, applicants will be contacted by a Boulder County staff member who will help collect the required documentation to verify program eligibility. Each household which submits an application will have a case manager who helps facilitate the overall process. If a resident already has a case manager (from either the Long Term Flood Recovery Group or from Boulder County) the resident will continue working with that person.

For more information and to obtain an application online, please visit www.BoulderCountyFloodGrants.org. To request that an application be mailed to you, please call 720-564-2294 or email floodgrants@nullbouldercounty.org.

Applications can be submitted:

1. Via email to floodgrants@nullbouldercounty.org;
2. Via mail to  Housing and Human Services, 2525 13^thSt., (Attn:  Flood Recovery Program Assistant );
3. By drop-off at the Flood Recovery Center, 1301 Spruce Street or 2525 13^thStreet, Boulder.

–BoulderCountyFloodGrants.org–