Capitol Notebook: More Iowa counties approved for FEMA assistance

More Iowa counties damaged by record flooding, tornadoes and severe storms this summer have been approved for federal natural disaster relief.

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved Scott County for individual assistance. Residents there are now eligible for the Disaster Recovery Temporary Housing Program.

The program is available to those whose homes were severely damaged, destroyed or deemed not habitable in counties currently under a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for both FEMA individual and public assistance. The program provides emergency sheltering in travel trailers or recreational vehicles to survivors who are unable to locate temporary housing and agree to the conditions of the program.

Dubuque and Jackson counties have been approved for public assistance grants to help local governments and certain nonprofits cover the costs of debris removal, emergency protective measures and restoring public infrastructure.

Reynolds also issued a disaster proclamation for Des Moines County in response to severe storms that occurred on Tuesday. The proclamation allows residents in the county to access state resources for recovery efforts.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants up to $7,000 per households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level to be used for home or car repairs, replacing clothing or food and temporary housing expenses. Applications and instructions for the grant are available at the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management website, homelandsecurity.iowa.gov.

The Disaster Case Advocacy Program provides case advocates who work with Iowans to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice and referrals to services and resources. There are no income requirements for the program. More information can be found at iowacommunityaction.org.

For more information on disaster-related programs and resources available to Iowans, go to DisasterRecovery.iowa.gov. Additional resources can be found at Homelandsecurity.iowa.gov.

Iowa receives $7 million to fund energy efficiency projects

Iowa recently received over $7 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to create a loan fund to help pay for energy efficiency projects in commercial and residential buildings.

The program will target multifamily housing throughout Iowa and assist in upgrading from baseboard heating to more energy-efficient ductless mini-split systems, according to a news release.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, in a statement, said the increased opportunities for low-cost financing will help families and small businesses save money and reduce energy costs. Granholm said the funding also supports President Joe Biden’s climate goals of reducing emission by 50 to 52 percent by 2030 and achieving a net-zero economy by 2050.

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau