Grant will fix quake-hit homes in Louisa

BY PORTSIA SMITH

Louisa County is receiving a $622,000 grant to repair or replace homes severely damaged by the magnitude-5.8 earthquake last Aug. 23.

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced Friday that more than $1.3 million in Community Development Block Grants funding will go to Louisa and Southampton counties from the Urgent Needs Open Submission and the Community Economic Development programs.

“Whether it is rebuilding after a natural disaster or supporting economic growth in a locality, the commonwealth supports using appropriate resources to make Virginia a better place to live and work,” McDonnell said.

The epicenter of last summer’s quake was in Louisa County, and many homes and public buildings were damaged. McDonnell said the grant will be used to alleviate existing conditions that pose a serious and immediate threat to the health and welfare of the community. Southampton County received $700,000 to support the construction of a wood-pellet manufacturing center.

The grant is the latest of several federal efforts to help Louisa recover from the quake. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing more than $25 million to repair or replace county schools that were damaged in the earthquake. More than $8 million in grants were approved through the FEMA Individual and Household program. The Small Business Administration approved more than $2.3 million in loans for homeowners, renters and business owners.

Since 1982, the federally-funded Community Development Block Grants program has been administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, and Virginia receives up to $16 million annually for this “small cities” grant program. CDBG grants are awarded through a competitive process.

Portsia Smith: 540/374-5419

psmith@fredericksburg.com

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