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July 17, 2008HUD ANNOUNCES DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR MICHIGAN STORM VICTIMS |
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From HUD Press Releases: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Steve Preston today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to 11 storm-ravaged counties in Michigan and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding. This assistance includes foreclosure relief for families whose homes are insured through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) living in Allegan, Barry, Eaton, Ingham, Lake, Manistee, Mason, Missaukee, Osceola, Ottawa, and Wexford Counties (more counties may be added in the coming days/weeks). Yesterday, President Bush declared these counties eligible for certain disaster assistance. A presidential disaster declaration triggers a variety of federal assistance including grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. "These storms, and the flooding they produced, are tearing people's lives apart and we must offer substantive relief to these families," said Preston. "To speed this recovery, we're calling for a 'foreclosure time-out' to offer FHA-insured families a little breathing room as they confront the rebuilding process." Offering states the ability to re-allocate existing federal resources toward disaster relief - HUD's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME programs give the State the flexibility to redirect millions of dollars to address critical needs, including housing and services for tornado victims. HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS.
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