(WXYZ) — Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a plan to utilize $10 million in state general funds to provide emergency relief to households impacted by heavy rainfall and flooding on June 25 and 26.
The funding will be allocated to the City of Detroit and Wayne and Washtenaw counties to set up residential gap funding grant programs to assist households not eligible for federal assistance or not provided adequate resources from FEMA or the U.S. Small Business Administration to return to their pre-disaster quality of life.
“Recognizing the hardships the flooding has placed on individuals and families that sustained damage to their homes and loss of personal property, we are working with Wayne and Washtenaw counties and the City of Detroit to ensure this funding is available to help residents as they recover from this disaster,” Whitmer said in a press release. “I appreciate the partnership with the counties and City of Detroit in putting together these programs to help get residents back on their feet.”
The $10 million in general funds is part of a supplemental funding bill, signed on July 26, to be used to assist areas of the state with restoration costs and other expenses resulting from weather-related events that occurred in June 2021.
On June 25 and 26, heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding in Wayne and Washtenaw Counties, damaging infrastructure and private property. On June 26, Whitmer declared a state of emergencyfor Wayne County.
On July 8, Whitmer added Washtenaw Countyto the state of emergency declaration. On July 15, President Biden approved a major disaster declarationmaking federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties.
Additionally, Whitmer requested over $50 million in federal assistance to repair damaged highways and purchase backup pump station generators.
