HUD awards $44 million to Spokane County for 2023 wildfire recovery

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced this week that Spokane County will receive $44,000,000 in Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery funds to help rebuild after wildfires in 2023, federal and county officials said.

HUD regional administrator Andrew Lofton called the allocation a commitment to recovery and said the funds are intended to help renovate homes, repair infrastructure and support local businesses. “The $44,000,000 designated for Spokane County will help restore homes, repair critical infrastructure, and support local businesses that are faced unprecedented challenges,” Lofton said.

The award is intended for long-term recovery and will flow to the county only after a multi-step process that county and HUD officials outlined at a public announcement. That process begins with a county-led needs assessment and community engagement, including outreach to affected tribal populations, officials said. The county must prepare an action plan that goes through a 30-day public comment period; HUD will review the plan and then allow funds to be obligated and disbursed.

HUD representatives said the program is aimed primarily at uninsured and underinsured households and at low- and moderate-income residents. “The uninsured and underinsured is the primary focus of the funds,” a HUD disaster recovery representative said, adding that the money is flexible and can be used to reimburse local recovery expenses already incurred as well as fund future mitigation projects.

Mayor Terry Cooper said local volunteer and nonprofit efforts have already produced visible progress. “We have not had a day off for a year and a half,” Mayor Terry Cooper said, describing ongoing local rebuilding work and the involvement of national and local volunteer teams. Cooper and others described a coordinated Spokane Region Long Term Recovery Group that will work to connect the federal dollars with local resources.

County Commissioner Josh Kearns, whose District 3 includes areas affected by the Oregon Road fire, urged that the funds be used to help residents still living in temporary or inadequate shelter. “There are many folks that are living in shelters, such as RVs that are ill equipped for cold weather,” Commissioner Josh Kearns said, noting the county would work with HUD and the congressional delegation to move funds as quickly as the rules allow.

Officials provided several on-the-ground figures during questions from reporters: staff said eight houses were ready for finish work and five construction teams were working now, with another 12 projects queued up. They said roughly 34 people had been living in RVs at one point and that the county was currently working with about 40 households to determine remaining needs. Local leaders also described continuing damage to roads and other infrastructure in impacted communities.

County and HUD officials said the timing for money to reach households will vary; HUD noted that, after the action plan and review, it may take months for some funds to be disbursed and years for full recovery, depending on matching requirements and project readiness. The county said community meetings to present the action plan and collect public comment have not yet been scheduled but will be held in the impacted areas once planners finalize an outreach calendar.

Officials repeatedly urged residents with remaining unmet needs to participate in the forthcoming community process so the county and the Long Term Recovery Group can identify where the federal dollars should be directed.

Looking ahead, county leaders said they will work with HUD, the Long Term Recovery Group, local nonprofits and congressional offices to align the CDBG-DR funds with other federal and private recovery resources to help households rebuild and to repair damaged infrastructure.