U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced that the Chicago area has been awarded a total of $31.475 million in funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs’ (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program. This funding was made available through the FY2013 Sandy Supplemental Appropriations Bill, passed by Congress last year, and is part of a third allocation for communities that are continuing recovery efforts following severe storms and flooding that began on April 18, 2013.

As part of the funding, the City of Chicago will receive $11.075 million for recovery efforts that include restoration of infrastructure and housing and economic revitalization to impacted areas. In addition, Cook County, Illinois will receive $14.8 million and DuPage County, Illinois will receive $5.6 million in allocated funds. The HUD Disaster Recovery grant program benefits communities that have experienced a natural disaster, and provides for disaster relief, long-term recovery and restoration. The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, or Sandy supplemental bill, provided more than $50 billion to 19 federal agencies to help communities rebuild after Hurricane Sandy.