(MOBILE, Ala.) The city of Mobile just has found a way to free up money for victims of recent tornadoes.
It's coming from HUD or the federal government's Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Up to $1 million is available for those affected by either tornado that went through Mobile over the Christmas season.
City officials say Mobile gets about $1.8 million from HUD each year. This year the city is allowed to use a portion of that money to help tornado victims in Midtown, Toulminville, Crighton and Prichard. This is great news since our area has not been approved for FEMA money.
Daisy Jackson hopes to take advantage of the available money. When you walk through her home on Union Street, you notice gaping holes in the ceiling, sheet rock on the furniture, and an overwhelming smell of mildew. It's not the best living condition for her or her grandchildren.
"It's very hard because I don't like them in this environment because of the smell and it can make us sick," said Jackson.
Jackson has lived in this home for 18 years. Now she's forced to move.
"At the moment we are trying to find us another place to stay because the house we're living in now is not suitable to stay in," she said.
Her home was damaged in the first Mobile tornado that went through five days before Christmas.
Like many folks in this Crighton neighborhood, Jackson doesn't have insurance.
"I'm doing whatever I can, whatever money we can scrape up and put aside for those victims we're going to do it," said city councilman Fred Richardson.
The Community Planning and Development Office is working to draw up the applications for the new program. They hope to have them ready for people to fill out and apply next week.
For more information, call the office at 251-208-6290.
