County of Lexington allocated additional $5 million for CDBG-DR efforts
August 28, 2017
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated an additional $5 million to Lexington County REBOUND (REBuilding Our Neighborhoods after Disaster), the County’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery program designed to address the unmet needs of people whose property sustained damage during the October 2015 Flood.
At a County Council meeting held on Tuesday, August 22, Community Development Director Charles Garren said the additional allocation brings the total amount of disaster recovery funds to just over $21 million. These funds will be used to help alleviate the remaining flood-related issues of eligible citizens in Lexington County.
The County has received a total of 122 applications meeting the basic eligibility qualifications for CDBG-DR funds. Those applications include:
- 57 applications for home buyouts
- 30 applications for home rehabilitation projects
- 35 applications which are undecided whether to participate in buyout or rehabilitationThe County has partnered with several third-party agencies, which will begin work on home buyout and rehabilitation projects within the immediate future.
The additional allocation allows for more incentives for applicants, who previously indicated a desire to rehabilitate their flood prone homes, to consider a home buyout. Those incentives include:
- $5,000 incidental incentive
- $10,000 incentive to purchase a home in Lexington County
- An incentive of 10 percent of the pre-flood value of a citizen’s home
Portions of CDBG-DR Funds can also improve storm water management infrastructure in some areas of the county. Funds may also be used to improve other eligible public infrastructure and public facilities in some situations.
Information about the County’s CDBG-Disaster Recovery effort can be found on the County of Lexington website at www.lex-co.com/REBOUND, by emailing [email protected], or by calling (803) 785-8121.
Community Development staff will update County Council during the September 26th Council meeting
