Immediately following the June flash floods, Grant County and the City of Boscobel applied for home repair funding from the Wisconsin Department of Administration.  On October 14, the DOA announced that Grant County will receive $495,000 in CDBG-EAP Emergency Funds to assist eligible homeowners with housing repairs.  The City of Boscobel will receive an additional $500,000.

Eligible activities under this program include repair to damaged foundations, floors, walls, roof and basic structural components; repair of furnaces, water heaters, electrical, plumbing, and smoke alarms; repair of damaged wells and septic systems; repair and replacement of damaged weatherization, siding, steps, and walkways; repairs to severely washed out driveways; grading, filling, future damage; and other measures to make the home decent, safe, sound, and sanitary.  The program may also assist with acquisition, demolition, and replacement of homes so severely damaged that they are not repairable.

Reimbursement to persons who have already completed eligible work is possible if the homeowner can provide documentation of damage and all applicable receipts.

This is an income-eligible program, which means that homeowners must have a total household income that is less than 80 percent of the county median income to qualify for CDBG funds.

Regardless of income, all families in need of financial assistance with flood related damages are encouraged to submit an application.  The CDBG program will coordinate with other assistance programs such as the Boscobel Long-Term Recovery Committee.  Families who apply but do not qualify for CDBG funds will automatically be referred to other available programs and charitable funds for further consideration.

Applications are now available online at www.grantcountyem.com, or can be picked up at city/village halls in Boscobel, Blue River, Muscoda, Montfort, Fennimore, Patch Grove, Bloomington, Mount Hope and Bagley during normal business hours.  Anyone with questions regarding this program can contact Grant County Emergency Management at 723-7171.
Assistance is available to persons earning 80 percent of the Grant County median income, which follows:
   1 Person, $32,850
   2 People, $37,550
   3 People, $42,250
   4 People, $46,900
   5 People, $50,700

Dave Janney, Disaster Case Manager through the Wisconsin Conference United Methodist Church, is currently processing those applications in an office he opened last week at St. John’s Lutheran Church

In addition to the CDBG-EAP funds, there is also approximately $60,000 in funding available through the Boscobel Chamber of Commerce’s Flood Relief fund, money that will be distributed after the state funding has been depleted. These funds are aimed at people who may not qualify through the income eligibility guidelines but who have also been adversely affected by the funding.

“We’re hoping to help out the hard working people of Boscobel who may not be income-eligible but still suffered significant losses,” said Chamber President Tom Richter.

People interested in those funds are asked to fill out the county’s on-line application or pick one up at Boscobel City Hall.

“We encourage people to get their applications in, even if they don’t think they’re eligible,” said Pat Updike of the Chamber’s flood relief committee.

In addition to state and local funds, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been operating out of an office at Boscobel City Hall since Sept. 3 processing applications for public infrastructure assistance in Grant, Crawford, Iowa, Richland and Vernon counties.

“This is for public infrastructure damage, mostly debris removal but also roads, bridges and culverts,” James Zavoral, FEMA Public Assistance Coordinator said from his Boscobel office Tuesday. “We have 90 applicants in five counties, so it’s been slow going with a short staff.”

Zavoral and his staff hope to have their jobs wrapped up in Boscobel by the first week in December. He said they were able to work through the government shutdown due to funding formulas. “I don’t really understand it, but it didn’t affect us, which was good.”