TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - – The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) announced $150 million is now available to local governments through the Rebuild Florida Mitigation General Infrastructure Program. The Rebuild Florida Mitigation General Infrastructure Program is designed to provide funding opportunities for local governments and state agencies to develop large-scale mitigation activities that allow Florida communities to be more resilient to future disasters.

The total allocation of $475,000,000 is allocated through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) newly created Community Development Block Grant–Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program formed in response to the 2016 to 2017 presidentially declared disasters. The Rebuild Florida Mitigation General Infrastructure Program will be implemented in three competitive application cycles.

Local governments and state agencies may apply for funding to propose projects that meet program requirements, including benefiting low- and moderate-income (LMI) populations. Nonprofits and non-governmental organizations may also apply in partnership with a local government or a state agency.

The deadline to complete an application is September 14, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. (EST). DEO staff will be available to provide technical assistance to communities during the application process. For more information about the program, including how to complete an application, visit the Rebuild Florida Mitigation General Infrastructure Program’s webpage.

To provide local governments, state agencies and interested organizations with more information about the Rebuild Florida Mitigation General Infrastructure Program, DEO hosted a webinar. Click here to view a copy of the presentation.

According to the guidelines set by the Federal Register, at least 50 percent of CDBG-MIT funds must be spent in HUD-designated Most Impacted and Distressed (MID) areas, with the remaining funds spent in state-designated MID areas. The CDBG-MIT funding is available for use in 51 Florida counties.

Additional application cycles through the Rebuild Florida Mitigation General Infrastructure Program are anticipated to launch in 2021 and 2022.

Last month, DEO launched the Rebuild Florida General Planning Support Program with $20 million in funding and in April, DEO launched the Rebuild Florida Critical Facility Hardening Program with $75 million in funding.

Rebuild Florida is a partnership of DEO and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Rebuild Florida uses federal funding for Florida’s long-term disaster recovery efforts. For more information, visit RebuildFlorida.gov.

About DEO

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity combines the state’s economic, workforce and community development efforts, expediting economic development projects to fuel job creation in competitive communities and promote economic resiliency. For more information, including valuable resources for employers and job seekers, please visit www.FloridaJobs.org.

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