Governor Jay Nixon has announced a $122 million initiative to address housing needs in Joplin following the May 22nd tornado.
“Jumpstart Joplin” will be implemented in two phases. The first focuses on near-term housing recovery by constructing and rehabilitating single-family,owner-occupied homes in both areas hit by the tornado, and those not within the most heavily-damaged zones. About $22 million will go toward that effort and will be broken down:
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$10 million in construction financing assistance for developers, available on approval by the Missouri Housing Development Commission
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$7 million from the Neighborhood Preservation Program through Missouri Economic Development
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$3.5 million in Community Development Block Grant funds
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$1 million in down-payment assistance through the Missouri Housing Development Commission
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$600,000 for home repairs through the Home Repair Opportunity Program
The second phase, long-term permanent housing development, will include support for work on community-identified long-term housing needs.
Nixon says in addition to creating needed housing, the initiative will create jobs and boost Joplin’s economy.