Friday, Mar 15 2013 4:07PM

The HUD is providing grants for communities and homeowners hit hard by disasters.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced three model programs communities can follow when submitting applications for Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to help them improve their chances.

The CDBG-DR provides affordable housing assistance for communities seeking rebuild, repair or restore their homes. HUD noted that the programs can be modified to suit communities' particular needs in the face of disasters and other calamities.

HUD listed three areas of need that communities would use CDBG-DR funding to meet, the first being housing rehabilitation. This would provide grants to homeowners needing to rebuild or rehabilitate their homes. Housing counseling is the second, and would finance state and local governments to provide guidance to homeowners on affordable repair, rebuild and relocating options. Lastly, housing buyouts would provide funds for communities to buy out homeowners' properties if they are located in flood-prone areas. 

"Providing these ready-made programs to communities will help them get resources where they are needed more effectively and efficiently," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "We are committed to working with our federal, state, local and tribal partners to get assistance to families who are struggling to rebuild as quickly as possible."

Federal agencies provide a range of assistance for communities experiencing various types of disasters. For example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides emergency funding for regions that are suffering from drought. 

For more information, check out this resource: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development