FAQs

The Program ends Septemeber 30, 2010. However, all applications must be received by June 15, 2010.

We were selected to administer the grant for several reasons:

• The Dept. of Health Services wanted to work in collaboration with WIVOAD. Because the Wisconsin Conference (a WIVOAD member) has the infrastructure and experience to administer this type of program, it was chosen to represent WIVOAD in this long-term recovery effort. The actual contract is between the Wisconsin Conference and the State of Wisconsin.
• Our Disaster Response Committee is the WI presence of UMCOR (the international United Methodist Committee on Relief) that deals with U.S. domestic and international disasters. UMCOR focuses on long-term recovery, are experts on training case managers, and work with survivors to help them get back to normalcy in their lives.
• The United Methodist Church through UMCOR has a successful track record of providing leadership for this scope of a project and working in cooperation with other nonprofits and government agencies. For example, UMCOR has played a major role assisting with Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts.

We were selected to administer the grant on October 1, 2009, and we’re moving as fast as possible to get the word out to help people.

The goal of the 2008 Flood Recovery Program is to find and help homeowners affected by the devastating floods and storms that occurred during the summer of 2008. This Program will assist homeowners in a 30-county area of Southern Wisconsin.

The counties eligible to receive assistance are: Adams, Calumet, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Manitowoc, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Ozaukee, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha and Winnebago.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Service is funding the 2008 Flood Recovery Program through a Federal Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) of $6 million. The Wisconsin Conference of The United Methodist Church is the administrator of this $6 million Block Grant.

The FRP provides financial assistance for repairs to the damage of primary residences, replacement of essential items such as furnaces, appliances, etc., and case management support and resources in the 30-county area.

The Wisconsin Conference of The United Methodist Church is working in partnership with the Wisconsin Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (WIVOAD), which is a coalition of 25 voluntary, nonprofit organizations that respond to disasters as part of their overall mission. Some of these organizations include: the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, Impact 2-1-1, Lutheran Social Services, MN-WI Baptist Convention, Presbyterian Disaster Response, Southern Baptist, The Salvation Army, United Methodist Committee on Relief, Wisconsin Council of Churches. WIVOAD also works closely with the County and Tribal Emergency Managers and their staff throughout the state.

Project Recovery, a community-based outreach program, works in tandem with the FRP to verify homeowners who may be eligible for services and to address the emotional needs that homeowners may have.

Program registration ends on June 15, 2010.

Recipients of financial assistance must be the homeowner. In addition, the total combined income of all of the residents in the home must be less than or equal to 150% of the median income in the homeowner's county. The funds can only be used to repair a primary residence, not for rental property, business property, second home, outbuildings, or automobiles. Other eligibility factors will also be taken into consideration.

Case Managers evaluate each specific request for assistance and make a determination.

The process to evaluate eligibility for FRP assistance may take 6-12 weeks.

Yes, homeowners who applied for assistance and/or received assistance from FEMA are eligible to apply for assistance through the 2008 Flood Recovery Program.

We were selected to administer the grant for several reasons:

• The Department of Health Services wanted to work in collaboration with WIVOAD. Because the Wisconsin Conference (a WIVOAD member) has the infrastructure and experience to administer this type of program, it was chosen to represent WIVOAD in this long-term recovery effort. The actual contract is between the Wisconsin Conference and the State of Wisconsin.
• Our Disaster Response Committee is the WI presence of UMCOR (the international United Methodist Committee on Relief) that deals with U.S. domestic and international disasters. UMCOR focuses on long-term recovery, are experts on training case managers, and work with survivors to help them get back to normalcy in their lives.
• The United Methodist Church through UMCOR has a successful track record of providing leadership for this scope of a project and working in cooperation with other nonprofits and government agencies. For example, UMCOR has played a major role assisting with Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts.

Because the Federal Social Services Block Grant came from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services, whose focus is to keep families together and in their primary residences.

In most cases – just two. They need to do the initial paperwork with a case manager, and then it is reviewed and approved by a local long-term recovery committee. In a few cases there may be a 3^rd step - if it is a larger amount than normal it may need to be reviewed by a regional steering committee.

The money goes directly to the vendor or contractor who has been hired to do the repairs or to replace furnaces or appliances.

Yes. A person may appeal and it would go back to the local long-term recovery committee for further review.

We're not totally sure. We do know that 40,000 people registered with FEMA, but that doesn't mean that is the total number. Our case managers are working with WIVOAD's Project Recovery case managers to find and help people. And, we are also spreading the word through the media, our WIVOAD partners, and many other organizations to help us find people who need assistance.

No! What we are doing is part of our outreach in collaboration with other nonprofits. There are no religious qualifications associated with this program.

This is really a grassroots effort. We are working with local Emergency Managers and their staff, the WIVOAD organizations, Project Recovery case managers, spreading information by word of mouth, putting flyers up in local communities, responding to referrals from churches, and also re-contacting people who were helped in some way in 2008.

The Community Development Block Grant Emergency Assistance Program (CDBG-EAP) is a special program administered by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, Division of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) which assists local units of government that have recently experienced a natural or manmade disaster. CDBG-EAP funds can be used to repair damages to the primary place of residence for owner-occupants with incomes at or below 80% of the County Median Income. CDBG-EAP funds can only be used to make structural repairs (and repair/replace furnaces and water heaters) that are needed because of the flooding and storms of 2007 and 2008.

The 2008 Flood Recovery Program provides funds that can be used to repair damages to the primary place of residence for owner-occupants with incomes at or below 150% of the County Median Income. These funds can be used to make structural repairs as well as replace personal property needed because of the flooding and storms of 2008.

The deadline to apply for CDGB-EAP funds was December 4, 2009.
The 2008 Flood Recovery Program ends September 30, 2010.

For more information about the CDBG-EAP, visit: http://www.commerce.wi.gov/CD/cd-boh-eap.html

The 2 villages and 21 counties and 2 villages which have CDBG-EAP contracts that include housing rehab funds are: Village of Chaseburg, Village of LaFarge, Crawford County, LaCrosse County, Monroe County, Vernon County, Columbia County, Richland County, Sauk County, Rock County, Racine County, Walworth County, Grant County, Green County, Iowa County, Waukesha County, Dodge County, Manitowoc County, Fond du Lac County, Adams County, Green Lake County, Juneau County, Marquette County.