CNMI gets huge federal grant to aid typhoon recovery

6:04 am on 28 October 2020

The Northern Marianas has been given a $US244-million dollar grant by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for typhoon damage.

Caused by Super Typhoon Yutu

Caused by Super Typhoon Yutu Photo: Mark Rabago

The money is for the repair and rehabilitation of infrastructure destroyed or damaged by Super Typhoon Yutu and Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018.

It's the largest such federal grant in the Commonwealth's history.

The bulk of the grant will be used for public facilities, the building of family homes, utilities, rehabilitating homes and for rental accommodation.

Some money will also go to promoting the CNMI, since the Marianas Visitors Authority is not earned any revenue from the hotel occupancy tax because of the Covid-19 tourism shutdown.