$5
Notice of Funds Available Long-Term Tornado Recovery Fund
The Affordable Housing Commission ("AHC") of the City of St. Louis hereby notifies interested applicants of the availability of $5 million from the Long-Term Tornado Recovery Fund to create a Tornado Repair and Preservation Grant program to repair and preserve affordable rental housing damaged by the May 16, 2025 tornado with the potential to make additional funds available based on the application requests.
Funds are exclusively for preserving affordable rental housing in the disaster corridor and to keep repairable units that serve low, very low, and moderate-income residents from sliding into vacancy or being demolished. All projects must benefit persons with incomes at or below 80% of the area median income.
Funds awarded will be provided in the form of grants.
Community Development Corporations (CDCs), nonprofit affordable housing developers/?owners, public housing authorities, and private owners of regulated/covenanted affordable rental housing units may apply for funds to repair affordable rental units damaged by the May 16, 2025 tornado.
Requirements
- Be an affordable housing property - leasing to households at or below 80% AMI
- Contain four (4) or more damaged units (may be scattered sites owned by the same organization)
- If the owner is not a tax-exempt organization, existing property must hold proof of an active Land Use Restriction Agreement (LURA) that sets specific income and rent limits.
- Agree to sign a new Land Use Restriction Agreement restricting the income level served by the repaired units for 6-years from the date of project completion.
- Be located in the immediate tornado impact area
- Document tornado-related damage (with date-of-loss evidence)
- Show a funding gap measured against insurance and FEMA only - the deductible or uncovered repair cost remaining (SBA loans and other debt are not counted against the gap); proof of non-duplication of benefits
- Not overlap with prior City tornado funding for the same units or scope (e.g., the Vacant Unit Turns Program); applicants must disclose any such funding, verified through the active documents recorded against the property (agreements, use restrictions, or liens)
- Be in good standing with the City
Tornado Impact Area
All projects/properties must be located within the following neighborhoods: Academy, Baden, Central West End, College Hill, DeBaliviere Place, Fairground Neighborhood, Fairground Park, Forest Park, Fountain Park, Greater Ville, Hamilton Heights, Jeff Vanderlou, Kingsway East, Kingsway West, Lewis Place, Mark Twain, North Riverfront O'Fallon, O'Fallon Park, Penrose, Skinker DeBaliviere, The Ville, Vandeventer, Visitation Park, Wells Goodfellow, West End, and Wydown Skinker as defined by the Planning and Urban Design Agency of the City of St. Louis.
Eligible activities
- Repair and restoration of tornado-damaged affordable buildings and units, including:
- Roofing, structural repair, and building envelope (windows, siding, masonry)
- Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems
- Mold remediation tied to storm damage
- Accessibility or code-compliance work triggered by the repair
- Other habitability repairs as needed.
- Resilience and hardening upgrades for roofs, such as fortified roofs are eligible.
Award parameters
- There is no per-project cap and no match required
- Awards are intended to cover insurance deductibles or the uncovered portion of repair costs - not the full cost of repair
- All projects must agree to sign a grant agreement and a new LURA
- All awarded funds will be forgiven at the end of the compliance period if all requirements are met
- If the Land Use Restriction Agreement is breached, the full award amount must be repaid
- Funds will be disbursed through a disbursing agent (title company)
- Work must commence within 6 months of executing grant agreements
Eligible applicants:
Housing providers with units in the May 16 tornado-impacted area:
- CDCs and nonprofit affordable housing developers/owners
- Public housing authorities
- Private owners of regulated/covenanted affordable units
Priority preference will be given to CDCs and mission-driven nonprofit housing provider organizations.
All rehabilitation projects must adhere to the City's Lead Safe requirements and receive a Lead Safe Clearance performed by a State Licensed Inspector at the project's conclusion.
Applications and information may be obtained on the internet at the Affordable Housing Commission's website, www.affordablehousingcommissionstl.org, Thursday, August 20, 2026.
NOFA Applicant Overview Webinar will be held Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.
Afterward, submit questions by Monday, August 31, 2026 to: ahcrecoveryrepairs@stlouis-mo.gov.
The first funding round deadline for submission is 5:00 p.m., September 11, 2026. It is anticipated that allocation decisions relating to applications submitted in this first funding round will be made by Friday, October 16, 2026.
The second funding round deadline for submission is 5:00 p.m., October 2, 2026. It is anticipated that allocation decisions relating to applications submitted in this second funding round will be made by Friday, November 20, 2026.
For additional information, please call the Affordable Housing Commission at 314-657-3880.
