01.19.12

Delegation Announces Nearly $80 Million in CDBG Funding for North Dakota

WASHINGTON - Senators John Hoeven and Kent Conrad and Congressman Rick Berg today announced almost $80 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) disaster funding for Minot and other North Dakota communities impacted by flooding last year. That represents approximately 20 percent of the total funding available for disaster-affected states across the country. 

U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Shaun Donovan outlined the state’s allotment during a conference call today with the delegation. Minot and Ward County will receive almost $77 million of the North Dakota allotment, with $67.5 million going directly to Minot and nearly $9.5 million of the balance going to the Ward County area. These disaster CDBG funds combined with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grants are expected to provide over $150 million for housing and permanent flood protection in North Dakota. 

“These CDBG funds will provide substantial flexible funding for Minot and other flood-impacted communities to rebuild housing and other necessary infrastructure as well as help with flood recovery and permanent flood protections,” said the delegation in a joint statement. “CDBG funding, combined with aid from additional federal programs, will help our communities to recover and rebuild. The need nationwide was substantial, but this funding is a step forward for North Dakota communities, and we will continue to do all we can to get more assistance for Minot.” 

The delegation worked throughout 2011 to secure the disaster aid which will help to address housing and other recovery needs in Minot and across the state. North Dakota’s allotment is a flexible form of federal assistance that allows individual communities to determine how to best use funds to meet recovery needs. 

A member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Hoeven added the disaster CDBG funding to the Senate funding bill. Senators Hoeven and Conrad and Congressman Berg worked with their respective parties and leadership to win approval for this critical disaster funding in negotiations between the House and Senate.  In November, Congress approved $400 million in disaster CDBG funding for states that have experienced severe natural disasters this year. 

The delegation successfully pushed for these CDBG funds to be targeted specifically to the most impacted states, such as North Dakota. This, according to Donovan, was integral in providing North Dakota with the greatest aid possible.

 The delegation has been working to maximize federal disaster assistance funding for North Dakota through federal agencies including HUD, FEMA, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Small Business Administration and other entities. Based on state damage estimates, the federal government will provide more than $1 billion in assistance to North Dakota communities impacted by this year’s flooding.