Latest news with #VirginiaDepartmentofHousingandCommunityDevelopment
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Grant funding sought for Tazewell County flood project
tazewell, va. — The Tazewell County Board of Supervisors are seeking public input on a state grant application for a planned flood control project. If the state funding is approved, the project would allow the county to take steps now to prepare for future flooding and other disasters. The board has set a public hearing for April 29 at the Cedar Bluff Town Hall to receive input on a Community Development Block Grant application for the project, Tazewell County Administrator Eric Young said. Young said there is $5 million available statewide in Community Development Block Grant funding, but in order to qualify for a potential grant award, a public hearing must be held first by the county. The project envisioned for Tazewell County is comprehensive, and would involve the Richlands, Doran, Raven, Bandy and Cedar Bluff areas, according to a legal advertisement in the Daily Telegraph. The project involves a monitoring of water levels along the Bluestone and Clinch Rivers and the purchase and installation of generators for water pumps and stations, which would help to power community shelters and water pump stations in the event of another disaster or outage. Tazewell County has experienced several floods in recent years, including the Feb. 15 storm and the Memorial Day 2023 flood. But when the remnants of Hurricane Helene slammed into the county last September, thousands were left without power for more than a week. Young said the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development recently announced a one-time state-wide urgent need flood relief grant program. 'There is $5 million available statewide,' Young said of the grant funding. 'The application process requires a hearing. We are applying for generators to help power community shelters and water pump stations.' Young said power outages across the county were widespread after Helene last fall. 'Our strategy of deploying mobile generators to those pump stations had problems,' Young said. 'First everywhere was without power. So we did not have enough generators. Second we could not access the pump station sites due to trees in the roads. This grant would assure that we had new generators at each pump station.' Having generators installed at pump stations will ensure that citizens won't run out of drinking water in the event of another major storm or disaster, Young said. The project also seeks to add telemetry beacons. 'The beacons are cellular based,' Young said. 'They would report water levels in tributaries of the Bluestone and Clinch. Hydrological modeling and AI would then tell us how much time we had before the river left its banks down stream. This would be critical in determining where and when to deploy rescue crews.' Another part of the project involves rental assistance for those displaced by the February floods. 'They were primarily in the western end of the county,' Young said of individuals displaced by the Feb. 15 flood. 'That is why we decided to have the hearing in Cedar Bluff. But anyone who was displaced would be eligible.' Young said the board is hopeful that it will be approved for funding. 'There is only $5 million available statewide, so we are not sure how much funding we will get from this round,' Young said. 'Last week the governor announced a separate round of flood funding this summer of $50 million. We will apply for that as well when the application period opens.' Contact Charles Owens at cowens@
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor Youngkin announces $23.6 million in community development grants
RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) – Governor Glenn Youngkin announced on Feb. 6 a significant investment in Virginia's future, allocating more than $23.6 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to fund 33 projects across the state. The funding aims to revitalize communities, enhance housing and improve critical infrastructure, benefiting more than 10,000 low and moderate-income residents. 'The foundation of every thriving community includes affordable homes, robust infrastructure, and an economy that works for everyone,' Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said. 'CDBG continues to be an invaluable resource for addressing community-identified needs by filling in crucial funding gaps to build stronger communities across the Commonwealth.' These grants are part of a federally funded initiative that has been a cornerstone of community development in Virginia since 1982. Administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, the CDBG program typically allocates about $19 million annually to small cities, counties and towns, including James City County, Accomack County and New Kent County, for various local projects. This year's funding surpasses the usual amount, signaling a strong commitment to fostering growth and resilience throughout the Commonwealth. 'While each of the 33 awarded projects supports vastly different community goals, they all foster strong local partnerships, diverse regional economies and a higher quality of life for Virginians,' said Caren Merrick, secretary of commerce and trade. 'CDBG funding offers the flexibility needed to address the unique concerns of diverse communities while building a stronger, more cohesive Commonwealth.' The projects funded by these grants are diverse and impactful, including initiatives to rehabilitate homes in declining neighborhoods, revitalize downtown districts, and enhance water and sewer infrastructure. Such improvements are especially crucial in rural areas where access to these services can be limited. 'Community Development Block Grants have facilitated targeted support to Virginia's communities for over 40 years, and their effects have been profound,' said Bryan Horn, director of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. 'By investing in our communities, we are able to support them in the unique ways that they need, with solutions that include their residents' unique voices, all while protecting vulnerable populations and building stronger local economies.' A full list of the 2024 CDBG awarded projects can be found below: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
