Mayor Spencer Announces Plan for $12 Million in Rams Interest Funds for Housing and Debris Priorities

Today, Mayor Cara Spencer announced a plan to invest the remaining $12 million in allocated Rams interest funds for tornado relief, with the vast majority going to debris removal and housing.

“Private property debris removal and intermediate housing remain top priorities for the Recovery Office,” said Mayor Spencer. “These funds are a starting point to a larger tranche of funding to ensure we remove all debris from our communities and ensure our impacted residents have access to safe housing by winter.”

The remaining $12 million in Rams interest funds for tornado relief will support efforts in the following areas.

• $5.35M Private property debris removal: Dumpsters and for non-profits and community groups, and consulting services for right-of-entry and site assessments to allow City-supported demolition and private property debris removal.
• $5M Intermediate housing: This will fund repairs to make hundreds of affordable, public and non-profit vacant units available and potentially rental assistance to tornado-impacted residents.
• $1.65M Recovery Office staffing and cost recovery consulting support services for the City of St. Louis on FEMA and State reimbursable expenses.

These funds are in addition to over $9.5 million for right-of-way debris removal and $10.4 million for housing stabilization and repairs that have already been obligated from Rams, ARPA, CDBG and other sources.

Additional funding discussions continue around larger private property debris removal and housing programs with FEMA, the State, the Board of Aldermen and the Comptroller's Office as we refine our strategy.

“We are committed to ensuring communities can continue to drive clean-up in their neighborhoods and help impacted residents find safe housing before winter, as families make decisions about rebuilding and secure funding and contractors to repair their homes," said Chief Recovery Officer Julian Nicks.

Mayor Spencer will present this plan to the Board of Estimate & Apportionment for approval next week, along with select contracts, at a special meeting. With the board’s approval, these funds will be deployed to support these efforts.

Intermediate Debris Removal Update

In addition to these efforts, the City has contracted Looks Great Services to carry out disaster-related debris removal from the public right-of-way, street curb and alleys, starting this week. This work is expected to last four to eight weeks.

Debris Pickup Schedule by Week

Week of September 2 – September 6

• Fountain Park
• Lewis Place
• Kingsway East
• Penrose

Week of September 8 – September 13

• Jeff Vander Lou
• Academy/Sherman Park
• Visitation Park
• Kingsway West
• O’Fallon

Week of September 15 – September 20

• West End
• Skinker DeBaliviere
• Central West End
• The Greater Ville
• The Ville
• College Hill
• Fairground

After these first three weeks of neighborhood sweeps, crews will focus on follow-ups and cleanup outside the zones as needed.

Where to Place Debris

• Only in the public right-of-way – the area between sidewalks and streets.
• Do NOT place debris in streets or alleys, or put out regular household trash in this area.
• Do NOT use black trash bags – debris must be visible for verification.

Sort Your Debris into These Piles

• Vegetation/Green Waste – tree limbs, brush, leaves
• Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) – paint, propane tanks, chemicals, batteries
• White Goods – appliances, electronics
• Mixed Construction & Demolition (C&D) – wood, roofing, bricks, etc.

Regular Trash and Brick

• Regular trash (non-disaster waste) should go in City alley dumpsters or roll carts.
• If you're keeping bricks, do not place them in the right-of-way unless they are clearly organized (e.g., on pallets), showing they are being salvaged.
  • Unorganized brick piles in the right-of-way will be removed as debris.

Missed Pickup?

• If you miss your scheduled pickup, please submit a request through the Citizens Service Bureau online or by calling 311 for follow-up debris removal.

Safety Reminder

• Please follow safe handling practices when moving debris. Refer to Health Department guidance for additional safety tips.

Related Resources

• STL Recovers