Quigley Announces More Than $31 Million in Grants for Flood Affected Areas
WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) announced more than $31 million in grants from the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program to help fund long-term disaster recovery efforts after powerful storms and flooding ravaged areas throughout Chicago, Cook County and DuPage County in 2013.
"These crucial grants provide the federal assistance desperately needed to help communities recover after natural disasters like the devastating floods that hit Albany Park, Hinsdale and other areas in my district," said Rep. Quigley. "But Congress must also address the climate change that has made our recent storms of the century and ensuing flooding far too common and too costly."
The program awarded the City of Chicago $11.075 million, Cook County $14.816 million and DuPage County $5.626 million. The grants contribute to funds already allocated to the areas and a breakdown of the funding is below:
| Previously Allocated | New Allocation | Total | |
| Chicago, IL | $52,000,000 | $11,075,000 | $63,075,000 |
| Cook County, IL | $68,800,000 | $14,816,000 | $83,616,000 |
| Du Page County, IL | $25,900,000 | $5,626,000 | $31,526,000 |
With portions of the 5th Congressional District twice devastated by flooding in the past three years, Rep. Quigley has actively called for revising the process of awarding federal aid to disaster-afflicted communities and recently announced a $2.75 million grant for flood relief in Graue Mill from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Rep. Quigley has used his position as Illinois' only member of the House Appropriations Committee to advocate for investments to improve Chicago-area infrastructure, protect against natural disasters and address the underlying issue of climate change that causes extreme weather events. During the 2014 appropriations process, he fought to protect CDBG funding in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (T-HUD) Appropriations bill and helped secure $25.5 million for the completion of flood control measures related to the McCook and Thornton Reservoirs.
