By the Office of Rep. Salud Carbajal
[On Friday], Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) joined U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Marcia Fudge at Direct Relief International in Goleta to announce $115,022,000 in new funding to aid disaster recovery efforts in California.
The funding through the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program (CDBG-DR) will help the state, counties, and cities fund a broad range of recovery efforts in the wake of heavy rains and flooding in January 2023 – from rebuilding homes to repairing critical infrastructure.
“Secretary Fudge and I both know that; when it comes to responding to big challenges like natural disasters; it takes a village. It takes coordination between our local, regional, and state partners – and it takes the support of our federal partners,” said Rep. Carbajal. “I’m grateful to have this critical investment coming to California from HUD to support recovery efforts across the state, and right here on the Central Coast.”
“With natural disasters increasing in frequency and intensity, it is critical that states have the necessary resources to rebuild homes, essential community facilities, and our economy,” said HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge. “The Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery funds will provide critical assistance to rehabilitate impacted homes and improve infrastructure in the areas that need it the most without placing the sole burden of funding costly projects on state and local entities.”
More information on CDBG-DR can be found here.
Rep. Carbajal successfully pushed President Biden to unlock these and other sources of federal disaster relief for residents of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties earlier this year.
Following the announcement, Rep. Carbajal and Sec. Fudge also met with local officials to discuss the Central Coast’s ongoing housing needs and toured Buena Tierra in Goleta, a site that offers permanent housing for individuals experiencing, homelessness, and homeless youth or youth at risk of homelessness.
Additional aid is being provided directly to Central Coast residents through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Applications for SBA small business assistance loans for winter storm damage are open through early 2024.
Congressman Salud Carbajal and Secretary Fudge
