In 2021 and 2023, parts of Southeast Michigan were inundated with rain. This led to storm and sewer water backing up into thousands of homes in Detroit, Dearborn and Dearborn Heights.

Those cities did provide some financial relief, but federal money was largely hard to come by.

Now, the Fix Our Flooded Basements Act seeks to provide federal disaster relief for basements. Currently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) doesn’t cover damage to basements or mold and mildew mitigation.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) introduced the bill along with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Congresswoman Shontel Brown (D-OH).

“Water damage can ruin electrical systems, destroy heating and cooling systems, damage foundations and create long term health effects,” Tlaib said. “Especially the exposure of mold. It’s the biggest concern for many of us.”

The bill would also allow people to purchase flood insurance that would cover basement backups.

“The bill will also expand eligibility for FEMA group flood insurance policy,” Tlaib said. “It’s super important to ensure that FEMA would cover mold, mildew and moisture damage in basements.”

Donna Givens Davidson is the president and CEO of the Eastside Community Network.

Aging infrastructure on Detroit’s East side has led to basement flooding even from smaller storms, especially in the areas around the canals in the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood. Givens Davidson says passing this bill would be a measure of justice to Detroiters.

“This bill brings us closer to addressing the cumulative impacts of racist public policy over the years in places like the east side of Detroit,” Givens Davidson said. “It’s where senior citizens, where low-income people, are already living in homes they cannot afford to repair.”

Candace Aaron lives in the Franklin Park neighborhood. She remembers the nightmare of helping her father after the flooding.

“There was a lot of water damage, mold damage to the windows, damage to some of the foundation on the house, the roof,” Aaron said. “So I went and applied for FEMA to see what services my father would be able to receive.”

It turns out the nightmare of the flooding turned into one of bureaucracy.

Aaron’s father was denied mitigation services, but eventually received limited help.

“It wasn’t enough to cover the damage,” Aaron said. “It was very extensive in the basement and on the outside of the home. So I think that this bill would do better.”

As for the chances of the bill’s passage in a sharply divided Congress, Rep. Tlaib doesn’t see an issue.

“I don’t see any controversy or any opposition to this,” Tlaib said. “I mean, obviously some of my colleagues who want to eliminate FEMA will not probably support this, because it expands more FEMA coverage, but many of the people that I know I’ve spoken to on both sides of the aisle shake their head immediately and say, ‘Oh, this is a good bill’.”

The city of Detroit is notifying people about a free sewer repair program for residents who experienced basement flooding in June 2021.

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The Private Sewer Repair Program (PSRP) reaches 97 neighborhoods across the city and is available to residents who were hardest hit by the severe flooding.

To apply, households must be a single-family residence, they must be located in one of the eligible neighborhoods, and must be at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). They also need to be able to demonstrate damage from 2021 flood.

Residents who previously received benefits are not eligible. To apply, email PSRP@detroitmi.gov, visit detroitmi.gov/psrp, or call 866-313-2520.

Other headlines for Wednesday, July 16, 2025:

• The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit is hosting its 13th annual Urban-Suburban Interfaith Picnic from 1 to 5 p.m. this Sunday, July 20, at Palmer Park. The picnic will feature food from different religious traditions, a health fair, musical performances, games and more.
• The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced eight awardees who received $7.9 million in solar grants for clean energy projects though the MI Healthy Climate Challenge. In Wayne County, Hope Village Revitalization plans to retrofit homes in Detroit and Highland Park, and the North End Woodward Community Coalition will expand its Solar Neighbors initiative.
• Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County and the Elam Family are hosting a neighborhood revitalization event in Pontiac this week. Over 80 volunteers will work on cleaning up yards, and removing trash at 14 worksites during “Rock the Block,” taking place from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, July 17.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.