Senator Chang

September 9, 2021

Friends,

Hope you are doing well and staying safe. If you haven’t gotten a COVID-19 vaccine yet and you are eligible, I hope you will consider visiting Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine to learn more and find a vaccination site close to you.

For those who have children in schools, I hope the start of the school year has been exciting, safe, and successful!

I am also writing to let you know about our ice cream social next Thursday and share some updates and resources.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday, September 16, 5-6 p.m. – Ice Cream Social

Join Representative Darrin Camilleri and me for conversation with ice cream at Custard Corner, located at 2972 W. Jefferson Ave., Trenton, MI 48183. We will be sharing legislative updates from Lansing and discussing issues around Downriver.

Save the Date!

Friday, October 22, 6-8 p.m. – Criminal Justice Forum

We are planning a forum on various criminal justice issues. The event will be in-person with masks and social distancing. We will also livestream the event on Facebook. Stay tuned for more details.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Last month, I led an effort with my Democratic colleagues to propose a bold climate resilience plan to enact systemic changes and provide much-needed funding to Michigan’s aging infrastructure, and to address the devastating effects of widespread flooding caused by extreme climate events. Included in the climate resilience plan are proposals for:

  • Climate Resilience Corps, a job training and apprenticeship program focused on sustainability and resilience projects including hazard mitigation and adaptation plans.
  • Disaster relief navigator program, which would assist those struggling with navigating disaster assistance and emergency relief support systems.
  • Requirements for redundancy planning for transportation pumps and power sources.
  • Adequate disaster alert systems at the state and local levels for emergency notification.
  • Planning and asset management policies that require new and reconstructed infrastructure to be designed to avoid or minimize flood impacts, require separation of storm water systems, encourage local governments to develop climate resiliency plans, update the drain code and foster regional collaboration, and more.
  • Michigan weatherization and jobs plan that expands on existing federal programs by expanding the types of weatherization projects eligible and increases the number of good-paying jobs for weatherization.

This plan includes a historic and badly needed investment in Michigan’s water infrastructure. As we have seen with past crises — such as the Flint Water Crisis, when contaminated drinking water was discovered, or in Midland when a malfunction occurred with the Secord Lake Dam that caused major flooding throughout the city — Michigan desperately needs to modernize, adapt, and be prepared for future events caused by climate change.

The plan includes a proposed $5 billion investment in Michigan’s water and climate resilience infrastructure, which would benefit residents throughout the state, including Detroiters who continue to suffer from repeated flood events. This investment would ensure safe, clean water for all households; an upgrade to storm and wastewater filtration systems; and continued work on developing infrastructure to protect Michigan’s precious groundwater resources. The funds provided by the investment would cover local planning and resiliency grants, dam safety and infrastructure, lead-line replacements, clean water infrastructure grants, and water affordability.

Click here to read an op-ed I co-authored with Senator Adam Hollier and Representative Kevin Hertel about how building climate resiliency can create good paying union jobs.

UPDATES

It is not too late to apply for flooding assistance from FEMA or the SBA. The deadline has been extended to October 13, 2021. You can also find a compilation of available federal, state and local flooding relief on my website.

To apply for FEMA relief by the October 13 deadline, visit disasterassistance.gov.

Additionally, the following FEMA disaster recovery centers in or near our district are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily to assist with FEMA applications:

Disaster Recovery Centers

  • Kemeny Recreation Center, 2260 S. Fort St., Detroit, MI 48217
  • Golightly Career and Technical Center, 900 Dickerson Ave., Detroit, MI 48215

WAYNE COUNTY FLOOD ASSISTANCE GRANTS

Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the allocation of $10M in grants for flooding assistance. Wayne County is offering financial assistance for residents outside of Detroit impacted by the June 2021 flooding. Funding will support residents in covering damages and costs that have not been covered by FEMA or private property insurance. This grant money is intended to cover the costs of tangible goods and belongings such as carpets, couches, drywall, and food. Additionally, this grant may be used to cover contracted labor if the applicant can provide itemized quotes or receipts from their contractor.

The application will open on Sept. 7, 2021 and will be closed on Sept. 21, 2021.

Eligibility requirements include:

  • The property for which you are applying for must be located in Wayne County (*not including the City of Detroit).
  • The property must be a residential property.
  • The damage applicants document and submit to this grant must be due to the June 25-26 weather events.
  • Applicants must have applied for FEMA assistance to qualify for the Flood Relief Grant funding.

Applicants will be required to submit the following:

  • Proof of residence
  • FEMA application number
  • Pictures of damaged belongings
  • Insurance claim documents (if applicable)
  • Itemized quote and/or receipt for contractor work (if applicable)

This application is for Wayne County residents who need assistance completing repairs or replacing items damaged during the June 25-26 weather events. Funds will be used to cover items which have not, or will not be paid for, by FEMA or other property insurance. Application to the FEMA assistance program is a prerequisite to qualify for this program, and ONLY applicants with registered applications with FEMA will be considered.

To apply for this program, please visit the WayneCounty.com website

Wayne County Flood Assistance Grant

For flooding related assistance within the City of Detroit, please visit DetroitMI.gov for flood assistance resources.

VACCINE BOOSTER INFO

All eligible Detroiters can make an appointment to receive the first, second, or third COVID-19 vaccine in their own home. To make an appointment for any of Detroit’s vaccination sites, call 313-230-0505 or log onto DetroitMI.gov/Health to schedule an appointment online. Walk-ins are also available at all of Detroit’s vaccination sites.

For a list of all vaccination sites in the City of Detroit, please visit DetroitMI.gov.

Wayne County is now administering booster shots of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to residents who are immunocompromised. Booster shots should be administered at least 28 days after receiving the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Immunocompromised residents can receive a booster at any Wayne County vaccine clinic. Call 1-866-610-3885 or text “WAYNE VAX” to 48355 to make an appointment.

The Pfizer and Moderna boosters are available at the following locations:

River Rouge City Hall
10600 W. Jefferson Ave., River Rouge, MI 48218
OPEN: Mondays, Wednesdays 2-8 PM, Fridays 9 AM-3 PM

Flat Rock Community Center
1 Maguire St., Flat Rock, MI 48134
OPEN: Mondays 2-8 PM, Wednesdays and Fridays 9 AM-3 PM

Wayne County Community College – Downriver Campus
21000 Northline Road, Taylor, MI 48180
Walk-ins Welcome
OPEN: Tuesdays, Saturdays 2-8 PM, Thursdays 9 AM-3 PM

MASKS IN SCHOOLS

I am grateful that Detroit and Wayne County have taken important steps to ensure COVID-19 safety protocols for our schools.

A few weeks ago, I signed onto a letter, led by Sen. Dayna Polehanki, encouraging Wayne County to issue a mask requirement for students and educators in the county. Here is a link to the letter. Thank you to Wayne County for their leadership in issuing this requirement prior to the start of the school year!

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Stephanie Chang
State Senator
District 1