The following is a review of disaster housing recovery developments since the last edition of Memo to Members and Partners (for the article in the previous Memo, see 1/14). NLIHC also posts this information at our On the Home Front blog.
Legislation and Congressional Action
The House passed on January 16 a $14 billion disaster aid package (H.R. 268) tied to a three-week stopgap funding measure reopening the federal government for that period. The bill passed along party lines and will most likely be blocked by the Senate since it provides no new money for a southern border wall.
The bill also includes an amendment that would prevent any disaster recovery aid from being diverted for the construction of a border wall. This amendment is in response to President Trump’s tweet last week that suggested using money originally appropriated for Army Corps of Engineers’ recovery and mitigation projects to build a wall along the border with Mexico. This proposal has received considerable criticism from both sides of the aisle and would only be possible if President Trump declared a national emergency.
Representative George Holding (R-NC) introduced on January 14 a bill (H.R. 536) to provide tax relief for the victims of Hurricane Florence.
2018 California Wildfires
Federal
To-date, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have approved more than $347 million in grants and low-interest disaster loans to assist survivors in their recovery. The deadline to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance and SBA loans is January 31.
State Action
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) continues to lead the overall recovery and debris-removal program coordination efforts with its local, state and federal partners, and has highlighted ongoing efforts in a recent recovery update.
Local Perspectives and Resources
The city of Chico, CA, is struggling to incorporate the estimated 20,000 new people living there following the devastating Camp Fire. Nearly 700 people are sheltering in their cars or RVs and hundreds more are staying with family, friends, or residents who have opened their homes.
Hurricane Michael
Florida
Federal
FEMA released fact sheets reporting the disbursement of funds within individual counties, including Leon, Wakulla, Taylor, Holmes, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Washington and Liberty counties.
FEMA extended the filing period for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) proof-of-loss claims. Florida NFIP policyholders now have 365 days from the date of loss to file a claim.
Local Perspectives and Resources
Bay County and Panama City have partnered with federal agencies and local organizations to host a free Disaster Recovery Resource Fair on Saturday, January 26, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm CT. The event will be located at A.D. Harris Learning Village, 819 East 11th St., Panama City, FL. More information can be found here and here.
An article in the Tampa Bay Times highlights the lack of housing – and affordable housing – available in the Florida Panhandle following Hurricane Michael. The authors note that low-income renters have less control in the recovery process than homeowners. People remain living in cars, tents, or doubled-up with other families.
Georgia
The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency updated its “Ready Georgia” mobile app and launched a new website to provide essential preparedness tips and more timely response and recovery information to the public.
Hurricane Florence
North Carolina
Local Perspectives and Resources
The City Council and Housing Authority of New Bern are ready to redevelop Trent Court – a federally-subsidized housing complex that flooded during Hurricane Florence. The housing authority director is working to ensure the redevelopment is resilient to flooding and maintains affordable housing. He affirmed that residents living in the apartments before the storm will have the right to return. Several hundred residents remain displaced.
2017 Disasters
State Action
Hurricane Maria: FEMA has awarded over $525 million in additional funds to Puerto Rico, bringing the amount of funds obligated under FEMA’s Public Assistance program to $5.3 billion. The Puerto Rico Department of Housing for the Tu Hogar Renace program, which allows homeowners to shelter-in-place while making permanent home repairs, will received $520 million of these grants.
Hurricane Harvey: FEMA granted more than $1.1 million to the Texas Department of Transportation as reimbursement for housing employees in the Beaumont area following the hurricane.
Hurricane Irma, Maria: The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Action Network will host its annual meeting in Puerto Rico on January 29-30. The event aims to bring together leaders from government, business, and civil society to discuss ongoing hurricane recovery needs facing Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Dominica, and Antigua and Barbuda. Topics to be discussed include food security, access to health care, small business support, renewable energy, and sustainable tourism.
Local Perspectives and Resources
Hurricane Maria: Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico is urging the Puerto Rico Department of Housing to ensure people without formal property titles can benefit from Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) programs. Nearly 70,000 people were initially denied FEMA assistance because of lack of formal property ownership titles, and denying these same individuals again would prevent them from recovering. Ayuda Legal and other local groups see the government shutdown as an opportunity for the Department of Housing to develop these guidelines. Read the full press release in English and Spanish.
Hurricane Irma: FL Keys News reports that FEMA will end the direct temporary housing assistance program in the Florida Keys on March 10. Hurricane Irma survivors who remain in FEMA trailers will need to find long-term housing solutions before the agency removes the trailers at the end of the program. The article states that more than 75 households remain in FEMA direct-housing units.
Hurricane Irma: Low-income Floridians impacted by Hurricane Irma are still struggling to recover more than a year after the storm. Households are still trying to repair their homes, rebuild their savings, or find steady employment.
Hurricane Maria: An increase in homelessness in Connecticut between 2017 and 2018 is in part due to the large number of Puerto Ricans who evacuated to the state following Hurricane Maria. The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness has funding through a partnership with FEMA to provide housing assistance for those displaced from the storm.
Hurricane Harvey: In a recent interview, the director of the Houston Housing Department stated that the partial government shutdown will not impact housing recovery program in the short term but could have negative consequences if the shutdown does not end within a month. Other projects that rely on reimbursements from the federal government – like some mitigation projects – have been put on hold.
Hurricane Harvey: The United Arab Emirates has pledged $10 million to the State of Texas for Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts, including homelessness relief, community revitalization, and the expansion of public services. Additionally, the Dow Chemical Company has donated 57 trailers to families whose homes were destroyed in Hurricane Harvey. The company is partnering with Good360 to identify survivors who still need a home.