$89.5 million in flood relief moves forward in St. Clair County after Trump stops freeze
.jpg "U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski speaks to the press regarding an $89.5 million federal relief package to address flooding issues while elected officials of St. Clair County look on outside of St. Clair County courthouse on Jan. 29, 2025.")
Now that the fate of federal funding for disaster relief promised to St. Clair County is no longer in limbo, a local congresswoman and county leaders believe more than $89.5 million in grant money should be safe.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the grant for the metro-east county earlier this month after heavy rains this summer flooded St. Clair and surrounding counties.
Whether the HUD cash would actually make it to St. Clair County came into question when President Donald Trump ordered a freeze on federal aid on Tuesday. However, the White House rescinded that order on Wednesday. A federal judge late Tuesday temporarily blocked the effort.
“Central and southern Illinoisans deserve better,” Budzinski said at a press conference in Belleville on Wednesday. “And, most of all, we deserve answers from our government that are clear, provide clarity and certainty.”
The grant money could be used to rebuild homes, develop affordable housing, help small businesses, repair roads and support projects to reduce the risks of damage from future storms, according to HUD.
“This $89.5 million…will solve much of the flooding issues that we’re having here in St Clair County,” said St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern.
Kern said he’d like to see the county spend money on preventing flooding, including solving where storm water is coming from.
“Those are really the way those dollars need to be spent first,” Kern said. “Then, we go in and fix the other remaining issues. But, right now, I think we focus on getting that water out of the area, so that the flooding is no longer the issue.”
Rick Stubblefield, the county’s executive director of intergovernmental grants, said it may be a couple of years before the money is allocated for specific projects, but he’s hopeful it can be quicker.
The county will host public meetings about potential projects, and communities could submit proposals for their own ideas. All will need HUD approval before breaking ground. While it’s not required to be tied to public housing, the projects will need to be in lower-income communities, Stubblefield said.
Eight inches of rain fell on July 16 in parts of the Metro East, which caused $9.8 million in damages to St. Clair and Washington counties, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Flood damage was reported all over the county, and residents of Nashville evacuated their homes after the failure of a dam.
Freeze led to uncertainty
Budzinski, who was chief of staff in former President Joe Biden’s Office of Management and Budget, said the Trump administration’s freeze caused some “trepidation” across the 13th Congressional District.
She heard reports of an early childhood education program in East St. Louis worrying about their school meal program, and Bi-State Development paused its construction projects.
The second-term Democrat described the move as a “direct assault on the separation of branches of government,” and she said Trump doesn’t have the authority to revise congressional appropriations.
“What Congress appropriated is relief for the communities that have been impacted by the flooding in July of last year,” Budzinski said. “That’s not negotiable.”
Budzinski is not the only elected Illinois Democrat to express concern regarding the freeze on federal aid. Gov. JB Pritzker said the proposal would be devastating not just for Illinois but for all states, citing things like Medicaid and veteran services that rely on federal funding.
“Fine, review all the programs,” Pritzker said at a press conference on economic development in Jerseyville on Wednesday. “Let’s make sure we’re doing it efficiently and effectively — but don’t shut off the programs while you’re reviewing them.”
