SPOKANE COUNTY, WA – Spokane County has been awarded $44 million in federal funding to assist with recovery from the Oregon Road and Gray wildfires that devastated the region in 2023.
The funds, provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will help residents of Spokane County, including the City of Medical Lake and Elk, rebuild homes and businesses.
Medical Lake’s Mayor, Teri Cooper, shared that while a few homes have already been rebuilt and others are on the way for those displaced by the Gray Fire, many residents are still waiting. “Beautiful things have happened, and I’m just so grateful to be a part of it,” she said. However, funding from FEMA and other organizations is starting to dry up, making this new federal assistance vital.
The recovery process, according to County Commissioner Al French, is far from quick. “We know, like the recovery efforts, it won’t be a quick process. It could take several months to devise a plan that meets the muster and requirements of HUD before we can actually cash the check,” French said. The county will soon announce community meetings to hear from those still in need of help.
The federal funding will primarily go to those who are underinsured or uninsured and have no other means of rebuilding what they lost.
According to HUD’s Stefania Appia, this money is flexible and can also be used to build infrastructure aimed at preventing future natural disasters. “The county will need to re-evaluate those needs, engage with the community, and engage with the tribal populations that were affected,” Appia said.
The process of allocating the funds will take time, as the county must complete a needs assessment and create an action plan, followed by a public comment period before HUD can approve the distribution of the funds.
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