FEMA Awards $11,447,584 grant to City of Des Plaines

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $11,447,584 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Des Plaines, Ill., for the acquisition and demolition of 47 flood-prone homes.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides funding for mitigation activities that reduce disaster losses and protect life and property from future disasters,” said Andrew Velasquez III, regional administrator, FEMA Region V. “This project will help to eliminate future structural losses in Des Plaines by permanently removing these 47 buildings from the floodplain and will also greatly reduce the financial impact on individuals and the community.”

“This grant is great news for the city of Des Plaines and the residents who have endured repeated flood damage,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “Removing homes such as these from flood-prone areas not only helps residents avoid the heartache of dealing with future flood losses, it also reduces flood response and recovery costs for the local governments.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $15,263,445 eligible project cost. The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $3,815,861, will be provided by the City of Des Plaines.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, 312-408-4455