ST. CLAIR COUNTY: Budzinski Announces $89.5 Million Secured in Disaster Aid

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) announced that St. Clair County will receive $89,533,000 in disaster relief through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. This funding comes as a much-needed boost to help communities continue their recovery from the severe storms that devastated the area last July. Since the storm, Budzinski has pushed for further attention to the issue, which resulted in additional disaster relief secured through December’s end-of-year government spending bill.

“This funding announcement is a huge win for our communities that are still recovering from the devastating storms. This vital support will help restore critical infrastructure, provide much-needed assistance to families, and give businesses the boost they need to rebuild,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “I’m proud to have helped secure the Presidential Disaster Declaration for St. Clair, and even prouder to see that it’s now turning into continued, tangible support for those who need it most.”

“St. Clair County looks forward to being able to solve many longstanding problems with these much-needed dollars. Our appreciation goes out to Congresswoman Budzinski and all those who championed our needs to the Administration,” said St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern. 

Following the severe weather events in July, Congresswoman Budzinski surveyed sites in St. Clair County alongside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assess damage and discuss with local officials the federal resources needed to help repair infrastructure and build resilience. 

In August, Congresswoman Budzinski joined Senators Durbin and Duckworth in sending a letter to President Biden in support of Governor J.B. Pritzker’s request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration. President Biden issued the declaration in September and made St. Clair County eligible for federal disaster assistance. 

As a result, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) opened Disaster Recovery Centers in Belleville and Cahokia Heights, which offered impacted individuals financial assistance to pay for losses that were not covered by insurance or other sources, like rental assistance, personal property losses, home repairs, and temporary lodging reimbursement. The Disaster Recovery Centers also helped small business owners get connected with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to recover from property loss and damage to their businesses. Budzinski’s team worked to support and promote these centers to ensure they were accessible to all impacted citizens.  

The September Presidential Disaster Declaration made St. Clair County eligible to receive additional CDBG-DR funding from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 

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