HARRISONVILLE – The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) announced recently that a project in an area of the state affected by weather related disasters during 2008 has been approved for supplemental Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding.

The funding was approved by Congress with the passage of the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act of 2009 (Public Law 110-329), which appropriated $6.5 billion in CDBG funds for expenses related to disaster relief, long-term recovery, and restoration of infrastructure, housing and economic revitalization in areas affected by hurricanes, flooding and other natural disasters that occurred during 2008 and for which a presidential disaster declaration was issued.  Missouri was allocated $92,605,490 from this appropriation. A minimum of $10,372,631 of this appropriation must be used for affordable rental housing activities.

The city of Harrisonville has been approved for supplemental CDBG disaster funding in the amount of $750,490 to assist in the rehabilitation of the Hillside Village Apartments.

All projects funded must meet one of the following CDBG national objectives:

•    Low-to-moderate income (LMI) benefit:  at least 51 percent of the persons benefitting from the project must be of LMI status, which is defined as incomes at or below 80 percent of the county median household income. This may be met through area 51 percent benefit, housing, job creation/retention, or limited clientele.
•    Slum and blight removal
•    *Urgent threat to health and safety

Eligible applicants are units of local government (cities and counties) located in an area receiving a presidential disaster declaration in 2008.  Areas not included in at least one of these are not eligible for this funding.

Source: http://www.ded.mo.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsId=367