Cities and counties can incur millions of dollars in disaster response and recovery costs. Although FEMA reimburses most of these, if cost and time expenditures aren’t properly recorded localities may be denied assistance or forced to return money years after the disaster hits. It’s important that your locality has a plan in place for mundane… Read more
Cities and counties can incur millions of dollars in disaster response and recovery costs. Although most of these costs are eligible for FEMA reimbursement, if cost and time expenditures aren’t properly recorded localities may be denied assistance or forced to return money years after the disaster hits. Some municipalities have an appointed disaster financial manager,… Read more
Before work begins on a post-disaster recovery project funded by the program, grantees must perform an environmental review to evaluate the impact of the project on the environment, and vice versa. The review, which must be in accordance with requirements, provides documentation to prove that no harm is done to either the environment or the… Read more
State, local and tribal recipients of assistance assume environmental responsibility over projects, which means they are required to perform an environmental review that meets requirements on any CDBG-DR funded project before work can begin. This document provides the step-by-step instructions for conducting an environmental review on a particular project or activity, in addition to guidance… Read more
Successful program management requires adequate recordkeeping systems that allow subrecipients and grantees to track their performance against contract goals. This chapter of ‘s Playing by the Rules: A Handbook for CDBG Subrecipients on Administrative Systems, provides an overview of the minimum standards required for documentation and also provides a checklist of key administrative, financial and project records.… Read more
Before grantees can receive funds, they must develop an Action Plan that details the unmet needs analysis, strategic priorities, and the plan for allocating funds to housing, economic development, infrastructure, and/or services programs. The State of Oklahoma developed this Action Plan for their $97.3 million CDBG-DR award in 2013. Although this Action Plan can’t be… Read more
Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grantees and subrecipients must follow all local, state and federal procurement requirements. Many localities are unfamiliar with federal procurement policies, making it easy to overlook requirements that can lead to noncompliance and repayment of funds. Download this sample procurement checklist from HUD to ensure compliance at each step… Read more
This fact sheet provides an introduction to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) program including information on who is eligible to receive this funding, how it can be used, and a basic overview of the process for implementing a CDBG-DR program. CDBG-DR grantees and subrecipients can use this fact sheet as a… Read more
As one of the most vulnerable populations in disaster response and recovery, a community’s homeless population cannot be overlooked in disaster planning. June Gin, Veterans Emergency Evaluation Center (VEMEC) Research Health Scientist, recommends that stakeholders involved in the disaster planning process coordinate and collaborate with homeless service organizations during planning. If your community doesn’t have… Read more
Building Codes are sets of regulations governing the design, construction, alteration, and maintenance of structures that specify the minimum requirements to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants. According to FEMA, seismic provisions to codes are inconsistent — even in states more susceptible to earthquake activity. “A properly functioning building department will ensure… Read more
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