U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson recently provided guidance and additional flexibility to states and units of local government who are utilizing their existing federal disaster recovery funds to support low- and moderate-income persons and vulnerable populations for disasters occurring in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 during the coronavirus outbreak. The Federal Register notice published on Aug. 17, 2020 grants extensions and clarifies submission deadlines for Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery (CDBG-DR) grantees.
“Helping Americans recover from the coronavirus pandemic is a top priority,” said Secretary Carson. “Today’s guidance underscores the Trump Administration’s commitment to offering countless flexibilities and accommodations so that states and localities can best respond to the needs of their communities.”
Key new flexibilities available to CDBG-DR Grantees are:
– Provided a one-year extension of its previously established expenditure deadline for CDBG-DR funds under certain public laws in response to a 2015, 2016 or 2017 disaster.
– Provided with the option to request an additional expenditure extension beyond the one-year extension, for a maximum of two years.
– Provided submission extensions to CDBG-DR grantees for their certifications, implementation plan and capacity assessment, and action plan in response to a 2018 or 2019 disaster. Also includes a new provision that allows grantees to request additional submission extensions.
Source: Hud.gov
