The City of St. Louis and its Community Development Administration (CDA) are increasing support for residents displaced by the May 16 tornado by expanding the Tornado Recovery Vacant Unit Turns program. Currently, for-profit developers and private landlords with rental properties in the affected area are eligible to participate, according to the city's announcement.
Mayor Cara Spencer stated, "This change to include private landlords reflects what we’ve been hearing on the ground," referring to the involvement of local property owners in assisting those affected by the storm, as reported by the City of St. Louis. The program is designed to restore the city’s housing stock and support recovery efforts. These measures aim to help families return to their homes ahead of the year-end deadline.
The program offers a crucial lifeline, supporting repairs, maintenance, and updates to vacant rental units. Up to $2.5 million in Rams Settlement funds constitute the financial aid, with grants totaling around $10,000 per unit. Properties fixed up under this initiative are expected to house tornado-hit families by the cutoff date of December 31.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through CDA’s Salesforce platform and are open to community organizations, public entities, and now private developers. All grant applicants are advised to review the NOFA document for details on eligibility and required documentation, as well as the CDA Tornado VUT Repair Budget Workbook, to ensure their applications meet all necessary criteria for consideration.
