Oregon to get more than $400 million to rebuild from 2020 wildfires
Oregon will receive more than $422 million from the federal government for rebuilding from the 2020 wildfires that were among the worst in state history.
The money comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which is distributing $2 billion in disaster recovery and resiliency funds among nine states and Puerto Rico. Oregon is the second largest recipient of funds after Louisiana, and Oregon and California, which suffered billions of dollars in damage from wildfires in 2020, are the only states in the West allocated money.
“Put simply, climate change is truly a hammer hitting Oregon and many of the states directly in the head,” Gov. Kate Brown said at a virtual press conference to announce the funds on Thursday.
“Our Labor Day fires of 2020 were unlike anything we have seen in recent memory,” she added.
Brown was joined by the federal housing secretary and the governors of Puerto Rico and Louisiana. There is no timeline for when the money will be available. Program requirements, which would include more detail about where and how money can be spent, are in the works and will be published in the Federal Register when ready, according to federal housing officials.
Read more: https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/briefs/oregon-to-get-more-than-400-million-to-rebuild-from-2020-wildfires/