Thompson and Huffman Announce $212M for Disaster Relief for California

Washington – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) and Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02) announced that California has been awarded $212 million in federal funding through the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) program to provide long-term recovery from the devastating fires of 2017. Congressman Thompson advocated to the administration and Congressional leadership to help secure disaster relief funding through the Bipartisan Budget Act.

"Our district was hit hard by the fires of last fall, but we have come together as federal, state, and local partners to support each other, rebuild, and recover. This is about our community and the people who have been deeply impacted by these terrible disasters and it's why I am pleased our state has been awarded more than $200 million in CDBG disaster relief funding," said Thompson. "Our work is not finished; I will continue working with partners from across our district as we rebuild our communities."

"From the Redwood Valley and Potter Valley fires in Mendocino, to the Pocket Fire in Geyserville, to the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa, the communities we represent were hit with an indescribable level of devastation from one of the worst wildfires in our state's history," said Huffman. "As we join together and move forward in rebuilding our communities, houses, and lives, I'm glad to see California receive this much-needed federal support. I will continue to work with local and federal partners and advocate for all the resources that the North Coast needs during the long road to recovery."

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awards CDBG-DR grants to flexibly support many different recovery efforts, including but not limited to housing needs, economic revitalization, and improvements to infrastructure. California will receive $212 million, with $124 million to unmet needs and $88 million for mitigation efforts. The state will determine a recovery plan allotting these funds to the most affected regions and that plan will then be approved by HUD. Click here for more information.

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 5^th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force as well as the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.