Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Program

Notice of Funding Availability and Request for Applications

The CDBG-DR Notice of Funding Availability for Infrastructure, Public Facilities, Mitigation, and Planning Studies Programs has been released and can be viewed in English and Spanish below:

The Request for Applications will open on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, and close on Wednesday, February 05, 2025, at 5 p.m., for County Departments and Divisions and Local Municipalities.

Unable to find your application?

The mandatory pre-award technical assistance workshops will be conducted in person on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at the Orange County Administration Building (Commission Chambers, 1st Floor) located at 201 S. Rosalind Avenue, Orlando, Florida 32801.

The workshops will be conducted as follows:

Applications for CDBG-DR Infrastructure and Public Facilities/Mitigation Projects – 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Applications for CDBG-DR Planning Studies – 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Overview

CDBG-DR Action Plan

Approved CDBG-DR Action Plan. Please click HERE to view.

CDBG-DR Action Plan - Summary of Comments Please click HERE to view.

Citizen Participation Survey

Summary of Survey Results

Stay informed about disaster recovery efforts in Orange County! Sign up HERE for our CDBG-DR newsletter to receive the latest updates on programs, resources, and community initiatives.

Hurricane Ian devastated southwest Florida, making landfall on September 28, 2022 as a Category 4 hurricane with strong winds, heavy rainfall and severe flooding. It was followed by Hurricane Nicole nearly a month-and-a-half later. In March of 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) annouced an allocation of $2.7 billion to help underserved communities in hard hit areas throughout Florida recover from disasters. Orange County received a total of $219,712,000 in Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery funds (CDBG-DR), to include $191,054,000 for unmet needs and $28,658,000 for mitigation, to address community impacts and damages associated with Hurricane Ian.

CDBG-DR is HUD funding provided as a special appropriation by Congress to assist with long-term recovery following a Presidentially-declared disaster. It is a flexible set of funds that can be used to carry out a wide range of activities related to disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, economic revitalization, and mitigation. Based on the assessment of needs remaining after the hurricane events, Orange County budgeted its allocation of CDBG-DR funds for the following programs.

CDBG-DR Program Budget

Program	Remaining Unmet Needs	% of Unmet Needs	Program Allocation	% of Program Funds
Housing (rehab & new housing construction)	$253,300,768	59.31%	$108,746,160	49.5%
Infrastructure & Public Facilities	$160,700,743	37.63%	$59,322,240	27%
Mitigation	$0	N/A	$28,658,000	13%
Economic Revitalization	$13,047,152	3.06%	$0	0%
Public Services (includes economic recovery activities)	-	N/A	$7,000,000	3.2%
Administration	-	N/A	$10,985,600	5%
Planning (studies)	-	N/A	$5,000,000	2.3%
TOTAL	$427,048,663	100%	$219,712,000	100%

Community Meetings

Community meetings were held in each of the six County commission districts to solicit input from the residents in the affected areas regarding unmet needs related to the disaster, and their priorities and preferences in allocation of CDBG-DR funds. Summaries of the meetings are available HERE.

CDBG-DR Timeline

A timeline of Orange County's disaster recovery actions related to Hurricane Ian is summarized below. The timeline will be updated with the most recent information as it becomes available.

2025

January 2025: Request for Applications (RFA) for Public Services program to open for qualified non-profit organizations.

2024

Late 2024 (Tentative): Consultant for the CDBG-DR General Grant Management Services will be awarded.
December 2024: Notice of Funding availability will be posted for the CDBG-DR Public Services program; Pre-Award Technical Assistance workshop will be held on the RFA process.
December 2024: Request for Applications (RFA) for Infrastructure & Public Facilities and Planning Studies programs to open for Orange County Departments and Divisions and local jurisdictions.
December 2024: Notice of Funding availability will be posted for the CDBG-DR Infrastructure & Public Facilities and Planning Studies programs; Pre-Award Technical Assistance workshops will be held on the RFA process.
Summer-Fall 2024: Program policies and procedures are being developed for the Infrastructure & Public Facilities, Planning Studies, and Public Services programs.
June 17, 2024: Orange County CDBG-DR Action Plan received the final approval from HUD.
May 24, 2024: Request for Proposals for CDBG-DR General Grant Management Services was issued.
April 9, 2024: Grant Agreement for CDBG-DR funds executed between Orange County and HUD.
January 17, 2024: Orange County submitted the final CDBG-DR Action Plan to HUD for review and approval.
January 9, 2024: BCC public hearing for the CDBG-DR Action Plan. Please click HERE to view the public hearing recording
(last item on the agenda).

2023

December 12, 2023: BCC work session for the CDBG-DR program and action planning process. Please click HERE to view the work session presentation.
December 11, 2023 - January 11, 2024: Draft Action Plan was published for a 30-day public comment period and available on this website. Final CDBG-DR Action Plan and its Executive Summary, as well as a summary of comment received can be reviewed HERE.
September/November 2023: Community engagement and outreach process for CDBG-DR funds. Community meetings were held in each of the Commission Districts.
July 20, 2023: Orange County submitted Financial Management and Grant Compliance Certification to HUD as part of the Action Plan development process for CDBG-DR funds.
May 18, 2023: HUD published the Federal Register guidance formally announcing the allocation of CDBG-DR funds and the regulations guiding the administration of these funds.
March 15, 2023: HUD Press Release announces that Orange County will receive $219,712,000 in CDBG-DR funding to support long-term resiliency in response to Hurricane Ian.

2022

September 28, 2022: Hurricane Ian makes landfall.

2023 Federal Register

Federal Register Notice

The Federal Register provides guidance on HUD program requirements to state and local governments.

CDBG-DR Laws, Regulations, and Federal Register Notices

CDBG Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding is authorized under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended. Public Laws are the appropriation acts that provide funding for each disaster. In addition to any requirements cited in the appropriation acts, the CDBG regulations in 24 CFR 570 apply to CDBG-DR funds. Any waivers and alternative requirements applicable to specific disasters are identified in Federal Register Notices issued by HUD.

Reference Materials

HUD Exchange Information on CDBG-DR Funds

HUD Exchange website contains comprehensive materials and guidance related to administration of CDBG-DR funds awarded to communities to help recover from Presidentially declared disasters.

Interactive Guide to CDBG-DR

Learn more about the requirements in the CDBG-DR Consolidated Notice and each phase of the grant process.