Community Development Block Grants: Disaster Recovery

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced three separate allocations of Hurricane Sandy Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for Rhode Island, bringing the State's total Sandy CDBG-DR award to $19,911,000. Previously, the State of Rhode Island received $8,935,237 in federal CDBG-DR funding to address the impacts of the March 2010 floods. These funds may not be applied to recovery activities associated with other disasters, unless otherwise specified.

Eligible Activities

CDBG-DR funds may be used to support a variety of activities, including:

  • Restoring Public Facilities and Infrastructure;
  • Housing Rehabilitation/Replacement;
  • Property Acquisition;
  • Economic Revitalization; and
  • Recovery Planning.

Unless specifically waived by the federal government, CDBG program guidelines, including national objective requirements, apply.  The Cities of Cranston ($1,277,067) and Warwick ($2,787,697) received separate CDBG-DR allocations for the March 2010 floods.  No Rhode Island municipalities received separate allocations for Hurricane Sandy recovery.

CDBG-DR funds are intended to support long-term recovery from a natural disaster.  Short term/emergency assistance is available through other sources, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). 



Hurricane Sandy CDBG-DR Allocation

Refer to CDBG-DR Sandy Action Plan V13d (July 2020) for grant information.

All prior versions of the Hurricane Sandy CDBG-DR Action Plan are available below. Substantially amended versions are designated by a number (e.g. V1, V2). Versions with only minor amendments are designated by a letter (e.g. V2b, V2c).

Hurricane Sandy CDBG-DR funding is available statewide.  However, 80% of the allocation is reserved for activities in Washington County, designated a “most impacted and distressed county.”  Eligible disasters include Hurricanes Sandy and Irene, and the February 2013 Winter Storm (Nemo).

If your primary residence was damaged by Hurricane Sandy and your household is low/moderate income, you may be eligible for a CDBG-DR grant to assist with repairs/improvements. South County: For applications and more information, contact Washington County Community Development Corp. (WCCDC) at 667-7185 or washingtoncountycdc@gmail.com. Newport County: For applications and more information, contact Church Community Housing Corp. (CHCC) at 846-5114, or visit http://www.cchcnewport.org/.

Other Disaster Resources

Other resources may become available to assist individuals, businesses, and municipalities with recovery after presidentially-declared disasters.  Eligibility for federal disaster programs is limited to specific counties.  Examples include: 



March 2010 Flood Activities

Specific activities were funded through a competitive grant application process open to all Rhode Island municipalities in 2011 and 2012.  Funded activities include:

  • River Wall Repair/Improvements in Pawtucket;
  • Stormwater Infrastructure Repair/Improvements in Bristol, East Providence, Johnston, West Warwick, and Westerly;
  • Debris Removal in Richmond;
  • Life/Safety Infrastructure Improvements in Richmond, West Warwick, and Westerly;
  • Residential Rehabilitation/Reconstruction in Narragansett, Richmond, and Westerly;
  • Acquisition and Clearance of Floodplain Properties in Cranston and Cumberland; and
  • Flood Mitigation Planning Studies in Cumberland and Johnston.

These activities are underway or complete.



Disaster Housing Planning

The Office of Housing and Community Development, in conjunction with RIEMA, has established a Disaster Housing Task Force (DHTF), also known as Recovery Support Function (RSF) 4, Housing.  DHTF members representing volunteer organizations, the private sector, and federal, State, and local governments address pre-disaster housing resilience and post-disaster housing needs.

R.I. Department of Health maintains a Special Needs Emergency Registry for Rhode Islanders with disabilities, chronic conditions, and other special healthcare needs.  Rhode Island residents with special needs are encouraged to enroll.



CDBG-DR Resources: General



CDBG-DR Resources: Hurricane Sandy



CDBG-DR Resources: 2010 Floods



Quarterly Progress Reports

HURRICANE SANDY

2010 FLOODS

Staff Contact: CDBG Disaster Recovery