Spencer pledges $19M in additional tornado recovery funds

Mayor Cara Spencer announced on July 11 that $19.2 million will be invested into the next phase of recovery from the May 16 tornado. 

The total includes $18 million in allocated Rams funds and $1.2 million in Community Development Block Grant funds. Those funds will support efforts in the following areas:

• $2.5 million for resource hubs needs such as meals and supplies, including coolers, port-a-potties, dumpsters, and more.
• $2.2 million for unmet needs such as storage of personal belongings, rental assistance, and non-congregate temporary housing. 
• $5 million for home repairs for uninsured and underinsured.
• $3.5 million for case management, mental health, and legal services.
• $1 million to provide cooling through water stations and water sprinklers.
• Up to $5 million for non-profit support, including for resource hub and distribution staffing.

“The need is urgent, and we have been working hard over the past few weeks to put this package together,” said Spencer. “These investments are designed to meet the most pressing needs while ensuring programs we are investing in do not overlap with FEMA’s.”

With the Board of Alderman’s approval, these funds will go to city departments and service providers, and St. Louisans could see some of effects of the plan in the community during July.

The city Recovery Office has also been established through the Mayor’s office.

It is led by Julian Nicks, who served as interim deputy chief operating officer in the Mayor’s Office and has led the operations’ side of the tornado response. Nicks will serve as the chief recovery and neighborhood transformation officer.

“I am grateful that Julian has agreed to step up his role with the city and take on this challenge,” Spencer said. 

Nicks’ office will now lead the city’s recovery efforts, continuing the efforts that have begun out of the Emergency Operations Center and developing the long-term plans to restore and rebuild. 

The office will also lead the city’s community engagement efforts.

Spencer said announcements on how residents “can take a central role in developing the vision for how we restore and rebuild” will be made in the coming weeks.