Staff report

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded more than $3.5 million to the Port Arthur Housing Authority for mold removal and cleanout at the Southwood Crossing Apartment complex following Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey. The announcement was made in an issued statement from FEMA this week.

The complex consists of an office building and 206 apartments, fronting Highway 73. Work has been done on the first-floor units water mitigation, HVAC service calls, demolition, dehumidification and disinfection of units and structural mitigation.

“We are very thrilled about our efforts to bring funding to bear so we can begin that work,” said Seledonio “Cele” Quesada, executive director of the PAHA. “We have been working diligently for some time to do that. Now we are seeing the results of doing that. We’ve been working through FEMA, working through the General Land Office — it’s a process.”

The cost of the removal and cleanout is more than $3.9 million. The grant of more than $3.5 million is the federal share of the cost and requires a 10 percent non-federal match by the applicant, or $392,505.

These funds come from FEMA’s Public Assistance grant program, which reimburses communities for actions taken in the immediate response to and during recovery from a disaster. Eligible applicants include states, federally recognized tribal governments, U.S. territories, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations.

FEMA’s Public Assistance grant program provides project funding directly to the state for disbursement to the applicants.

FEMA’s announcement follows by seven weeks an announcement by GLO Commissioner George P. Bush that Port Arthur would receive $13.5 million for restoring low- and middle-income housing units.

Quesada said the PAHA would set up accounts with the FEMA money and begin the work on the apartments within 30-60 days.

He said work would be completed by September 2019.