More than 300 flood victims seek up to $10,000 on first day in Cedar Rapids' 'unmet-needs' program

CEDAR RAPIDS - More than 300 flood victims picked up paperwork on Thursday, the first day it was available, to apply for city grants of up to $10,000 to help cover costs for personal possessions lost in the June 2008 flood.

The city anticipates that as many 1,400 households will apply for the benefit in a program the City Council says is intended to cover “unmet needs” not covered by other flood-recovery payments.

The council estimates that it could spend up to $10.5 million on the program, money which will come from the $80 million expected to be brought in for flood-related matters over 63 months from the city's 1-percent local-option sales tax.

The unmet-needs program is open to those who owned or were buying their home when the flood damaged it in 2008. Recipients must have received previous federal flood-recovery funds to qualify.

The council says the new program will “match” earlier federal funds. The ballot language approved by voters in March 2009 said the sales-tax revenue must be spent on acquisition or rehabilitation of flood-damaged housing or to match federal funds.

The City Council-appointed Local-Option Sales Tax Oversight Committee said this week that the unmet-needs program doesn't meet the intent of the ballot language. The “match” wording applies to future federal dollars the city might get if they provide a local match, it was not intended to match federal spending after the fact, the committee decided on a 6-1 vote.

However, Mayor Ron Corbett said this week that the council's interpretation is different from the committee's and that the program would move ahead.

Qualified households can receive applications at www.cedar-rapids.org and at the temporary City Hall, 3851 River Ridge Dr. NE, the Community Recovery Center, 220 Sixth St. NW, and the Neighborhood Resource Center at St. Wenceslaus Church, 510 16th Ave. SE.

Applications will start to be processed on July 19.