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City approves $88 million CDBG‑DR action plan; residents press to prioritize household recovery
Summary
The City Commission on Oct. 7 approved an $88 million community development block grant disaster recovery (CDBG‑DR) action plan to support Fort Lauderdale residents affected by the April 2023 floods and to fund housing repairs, mitigation and targeted infrastructure projects.
The Fort Lauderdale City Commission unanimously approved a community development block grant disaster recovery (CDBG‑DR) action plan on Oct. 7 that allocates approximately $88 million of federal disaster recovery funds intended to help residents, rebuild damaged infrastructure and advance mitigation following the April 2023 floods.
What the plan does City staff and consultant IEM led a rapid unmet‑needs assessment and community outreach campaign and presented a draft action plan to the commission. Assistant City Manager Chris Cooper and Housing and Community Development Manager Rachel Williams said the plan focuses the largest share of funds in the housing category (repair/reconstruction, reimbursement and affordable housing) while also dedicating funds to infrastructure, mitigation, public services and economic revitalization.
Public input and advocacy - Residents, neighborhood leaders and community groups urged the commission to prioritize household recovery and mitigation. Residents for Resilience submitted written comments (read aloud by a participant) urging that no portion of the $88 million be used to rebuild municipal facilities such as City Hall unless HUD waivers demonstrate outstanding community needs are satisfied. - Lauderdale Tomorrow and other community organizations welcomed the plan’s emphasis on households and asked for a quick start to program design and application intake so residents with documented flood losses can begin receiving assistance.
Staff and next steps - Rachel Williams said HUD requires submission of the action plan and that the city is on a tight federal timeline; staff will submit the plan and begin designing program rules and intake procedures. - Cooper and staff described public‑facing information channels (a dedicated city CDBG‑DR web page, email and a phone line) and urged residents to use them to request technical assistance and ask about eligibility. Williams stressed that HUD grants require the city to advance funds and then draw reimbursement based on eligible expenditures.
Action recorded - Resolution approving the City of Fort Lauderdale CDBG‑DR Action Plan (PH1). The commission adopted the plan on a 5–0 roll call.
Why it matters The approved plan must now move into program design and implementation. Community leaders urged the city to prioritize low‑income and repeatedly flooded households and to set household allocations and eligibility so funds rapidly reach the most harmed residents. Staff said program rules and intake will be published to the dedicated CDBG‑DR portal and that technical assistance will be available for community organizations and nonprofits seeking to help residents apply.
Ending Comissioners thanked staff and the outreach team for the rapid work compiling the action plan and agreed to proceed to program design and intake with the intent to deploy funds to residents and priority mitigation projects.
