You may be eligible for a government buyout if your St. Clair County home floods
St. Clair County residents whose homes flood may be eligible for a government buyout if they want to move.
County and state officials have applied for up to $10 million in federal funding to appraise, purchase and demolish properties of interested residents, according to Herb Simmons, director of the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency.
The deadline for residents to apply is March 3.
To request an application packet, contact the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency at 618-825-2683 or visit its office at 101 S. First St. in Belleville.
The buyout program comes after severe flash flooding in July damaged homes across St. Clair County.
The hardest hit areas were in East St. Louis, Cahokia Heights and Caseyville.
Simmons said about 150 people have applied for a buyout so far, and the county emergency management office received another 30 calls on Wednesday from interested residents.
Anyone in St. Clair County can apply, and priority for the funding will be given to people who live in a floodplain and experience repeated flooding, according to Simmons.
This story was originally published February 23, 2023 at 6:30 AM.
