Economic Development Administration: U.S. Department of Commerce Invests to Increase Disaster Preparedness and Resiliency for Small Businesses in Texas

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration issued the following news release:

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $500,000 grant to LiftFund Inc., of San Antonio, Texas, to support a technical assistance program that will increase disaster preparedness and build resiliency for small businesses located in the 41 FEMA designated counties affected by Hurricane Harvey. The EDA grant will be matched with $266,478 in local investment.

"The Commerce Department continues to work diligently to provide aid to local businesses and communities impacted by Hurricane Harvey," said U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Dr. John Fleming. "This investment will help to establish a technical assistance program to support entrepreneurial and business development through LiftFund's Hurricane Harvey Relief Program."

The project will provide a disaster readiness toolkit and other tools and training needed to better equip Texas' small businesses to deal with future natural disasters. This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Harvey, such as the Houston-Galveston Area Council and Coastal Bend Council of Governments. EDA funds the Houston-Galveston Area Council and Coastal Bend Council of Governments to help bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.

This project is funded under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (PL 115-123) (PDF), in which Congress appropriated to EDA $600 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program (PDF) funds for disaster relief and recovery as a result of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, wildfires and other calendar year 2017 natural disasters under the Stafford Act.

* * *

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)

The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.