From Allocation to Action: What Comes Next?

The award letter arrives. The headlines hit. The community exhales. Your agency has been allocated CDBG-DR funds. Now what? In this boots-on-the-ground episode, we sit down with Chuck Lane, Director of Disaster Recovery Resources for Pasco County, Florida, recently awarded its CDBG-DR allocation, alongside IEM leader and subject matter expert Tim Lagudi. Together, they unpack what happens after the celebration fades: navigating public outreach, untangling the regulatory maze, managing expectations, and building compliant programs that serve real people in real time. They also share how strategic planning, data analysis, partnerships, and capacity building before the award became the blueprint for success after the award. Because the myth is that funding solves the problem. The truth? Funding exposes your readiness. If your community has received—or hopes to receive—CDBG-DR dollars, this conversation is your roadmap for what comes next. Less theory. More reality. Fewer assumptions. More strategy. The money is just the beginning.