PEARL, Miss. – The State’s Disaster Assistance Repair Program (DARP) provides counties with up to $250,000 in increments of $50,000 for building materials to help communities recover following a disaster. Through this program, the State grants funding only for the building materials. The county is then responsible for coordinating with volunteer organizations to provide the labor to repair impacted homes. For a county to qualify for DARP funding, it must have an established Long Term Recovery Committee with an approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Additionally, counties are only eligible for the Disaster Assistance Repair Program if they are NOT included in a federally declared disaster.
Since 2018, 22 counties have utilized DARP. Recently, this program has been instrumental in assisting Bolivar County residents in repairing and recovering from the June 2021 flood event. So far, $50,000 of DARP funds have been allocated to Bolivar County through their Long Term Recovery Committee to pay for building materials. Volunteers from across the country and Mexico are currently repairing homes that experienced major damage following the June flood event. Watch the full video highlighting recovery efforts in Bolivar County here.
“With or without federal assistance, Mississippi cannot rebuild without the help of the whole community. We are grateful for the Mississippians and all those that come to our State to help our citizens rebuild their lives,” says MEMA Executive Director Stephen McCraney.
For a further explanation of Long Term Recovery Committees and the Disaster Assistance Repair Program, watch MEMA’s latest video. Additional information can also be found here.