February 20th, 2020 by WCBC Radio
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development today announced a $700,000 Community Development Block Grant to Allegany County. The funding will be used to purchase land and relocate residents from a portion of the Garden City Mobile Home Park that lies in the floodplain and had previously flooded as recently as 2014.
"We want residents to live in a safe place out of harm's way," said Housing Secretary Kenneth C. Holt. "Importantly, we are able to use this funding to leverage additional federal dollars and make a real impact in this community."
As part of the project, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) secured $750,000 in funding through FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. This program serves as a mechanism for MEMA to reduce future risks and build resilient communities that thrive.
The project will eliminate the flood risk by relocating residents and structures out of harm's way. Stream restoration will also be a component of the project.
"Approximately 75% of all disaster declarations are associated with flooding," said Russell Strickland, MEMA's Executive Director. "In the U.S. however, thousands of homes are damaged by flood waters each year in jurisdictions where a presidential disaster is not declared," he continued. "Projects like this are an important way to improve the resilience of Maryland communities. MEMA continues to work with our local, state, and Federal partners to shape a more resilient Maryland where communities thrive."
The Community Development Block Grant program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. During the Hogan administration, the state has administered nearly $40 million in CDBG assistance for more than 100 projects across Maryland. In Fiscal Year 2020, the state housing department allocated nearly $7.8 million in CDBG funding for previously announced community development and infrastructure projects, homelessness prevention and special projects across the state
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