IEDA outlines $134.7 million CDBG‑DR allocation, timeline and priorities for flood‑affected communities

Representatives of the Iowa Economic Development Authority briefed the Woodbury County Board on planned uses and timing for Community Development Block Grant disaster‑recovery (CDBG‑DR) funds tied to the 2024 floods. Robert Wick, IEDA's CDBG and disaster‑recovery team lead, told the board the HUD allocation for the disaster is $134,687,000 and described program constraints, eligibility and delivery timing.

Wick said CDBG‑DR is a funding source of last resort — it is intended to complement insurance, FEMA and other funding — and that the IEDA action plan will be driven by an unmet‑needs assessment and community input. He said IEDA will publish a draft action plan for public comment in mid‑May through the second week of June and expects to submit a final action plan to HUD by June 20; HUD has a 45‑day review period, and once the grant agreement is executed the state will have six years to complete projects funded by the grant.

Wick identified program priorities: planning and mitigation (for example, updated flood mapping with the Iowa Flood Center and replacement of stream sensors and an alerting system), followed by critical infrastructure projects and then housing and reconstruction. He said about 80% of the allocation must go to federally identified most‑impacted and distressed counties (the presentation named Clay, "Sue", Cherokee and Woodbury) and that 70% of funds must benefit low‑to‑moderate‑income residents — a constraint that will shape how housing and rental projects are structured. Wick noted some procurement and program rules can be different for disaster recovery (for example, certain Buy‑America or Davis‑Bacon exceptions for small projects), which can affect affordability and project design.

Wick also said IEDA will hold pre‑application workshops (likely virtual) and regular training for local administrators and applicants, and urged counties and municipalities to submit the short survey distributed during the meeting so unmet needs are captured in the action plan. Woodbury County Treasurer (self‑identified) raised questions about whether assistance for single‑family homes would affect assessed values and property taxes; Wick said projects are generally structured toward new construction or rehabilitation and that either a county or a city can be the applicant; he recommended submitting the community's needs via the survey so IEDA can follow up on eligibility.

IEDA asked the board to share contacts for local emergency management and affected municipalities so outreach can continue. Wick said IEDA has a deadline to get the plan submitted to HUD and is managing expectations about federal review times and grant‑agreement execution.