Officials with the California Department of Housing and Community Development will visit Santa Barbara next month to provide information on a pair of federal funding programs related to property damage caused by the Thomas Fire and 1/9 debris flow.
State representatives will speak on their work with local governments, including Santa Barbara County, to fund high-impact programs and activities aimed at reducing future losses from natural disasters. The two programs that will be discussed are the Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program and Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation, including proposed mitigation programs to address infrastructure needs, eligibility and the timeline for funding, Gina DePinto, county spokeswoman, said in a news release.
The state of California received funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to use towards the costs of rehabilitating property impacted by the two disasters. The state is also conducting a survey to identify the needs of affected landlords, property owners and tenants. Those who were impacted by either disaster are encouraged to complete an online survey that can be found at recover.hcd.ca.gov. The survey will also be available at the meeting, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 5 at the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors hearing room, 105 E. Anapamu St., fourth floor, in Santa Barbara. Those who should attend including impacted residents from the 932018 zip code, as well as business, civic and nonprofit leaders, Ms. DePinto said.
Registration is encouraged but not required. To register, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/95266381311. For assistance or reasonable accommodations, contact HCD at disasterrecovery@hcde.ca.gov.
For more information about the event, contact Laurie baker, grants and program manager for the Community Services Department and Housing Community Development at 805-568-3521 or lbaker@co.santa-barbara.ca.us.
Email: mwhite@newspress.com
