In the wake of the devastating flood of October 2015, both Richland County and the city of Columbia are seeking to help victims in the flood plains whose homes were ruined. The city and county are looking for funding to buy the homes of qualified landowners and return the property to green space, never to be developed as housing again. They’ve applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for funding to make the buyouts, which will be completely voluntary. Criteria must be met for homeowners, and the governments themselves must put up a 25% match. That has them asking: “where can the matching funds be found,” a question that representatives from both governments can’t answer yet.
Finding Funding to Match Federal Dollars
One funding source Richland County and the City of Columbia hope to be able to tap: Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery money. Distributed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, this is a flexible program designed to address several community development needs. Richland County Floodplain Manager Andrea Boling says the county falls under is what is called an entitlement community, so grant money is allocated directly to the county. It’s up to local officials to determine which sites meet the criteria to use the funds.
Another possible funding source for city and county officials: Flood Mitigation Assistance grants through the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Distributed by F.E.M.A., flood mitigation grants providing funding to reduce or eliminate long-term risk of flood damage. As a condition of receiving the funds, states and counties must develop their own flood strategies as well as agree to hazard mitigation plans developed by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Commercial Property Owners Have Other Options
Commercial properties are not subject to the same standards. Boling says business owners can choose to floodproof their properties and bring them up to code instead of applying for a buyout. Flood-proofing can be anything from introducing flood walls and levees to protecting sanitary and utility structures. While cost-effective, floodproofing does not eliminate risk, therefore, any developed property in a floodplain will always carry an inherent risk. To date, F.E.M.A. says the most effective flood mitigation methods are to elevate structures or relocate them outside of the floodplain.
