Congress approved federal assistance to flood damaged areas of Iowa months ago, but the Department of Housing and Urban Development has not released the money. Cedar Rapids City Councilman Brian Fagan says aid simply isn’t coming fast enough.
"What we’re depending on is this Community Development Block Grant money, well that really wasn’t designed for disaster relief and that creates another layer of issues," Fagan said. "So, looking at a broader perspective, the whole disaster assistance and disaster recovery needs improvement."
Fagan and other community volunteers have launched a media campaign trying to draw national attention to last year’s disaster. He’s hoping that will generate more federal aid. Fagan says, in the mean time, Cedar Rapids and other communities are waiting on the Department of Housing and Urban Development to announce how much disaster relief will be directed at Iowa.
HUD’s allocation announcement was slated for April. Agency representatives say it’s coming soon. Fagan made his comments on the Iowa Public Radio program, Talk at Twelve.