County to accept HCD disaster‑recovery mitigation funds for homeowner flood protections

County community development staff asked the board to accept a Department of Housing and Community Development allocation under the CDBG‑DR Owner‑Occupied Mitigation Program on Feb. 10. The grant responds to FEMA’s major disaster declaration for storms that produced flood damage between December 2022 and April 2023.

Staff said eligible properties must be located in Ventura County, occupied by the owner during the disaster period and that priority will be given to households earning 80% area median income or less; if funds remain, households up to 120% AMI may be considered. Mitigation awards can fund a range of activities with a maximum award of $100,000 per household; staff estimated roughly 45 households could be served depending on applicant demand and project scopes.

The board authorized acceptance of the grant allocation, delegated authority to the deputy executive officer to accept funds and execute contracts and subcontracts, and approved the staff recommendations unanimously. Staff said the request for proposals will include outreach and marketing to ensure effective targeting and noted coordination with the county fire marshal for ranking mitigation activities.