HUD’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) released conclusions from an audit of the department’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) that revealed the slow delivery of funds distributed through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. Between 2001 and 2022, CPD’s delivery time for providing disaster program funds to grant recipients trended upward. During the same period, CPD also failed to meet publishing and allocation requirements, according to the audit. To improve program delivery time, OIG recommends the creation of new milestones and enhanced documentation requirements.
HUD OIG’s report observes that the primary factor driving program delays was the lack of permanent authorization of the CDBG-DR program Congress. Currently, HUD is required to issue new regulations every time funding is provided by Congress, slowing the distribution and utilization of funding and complicating program requirements.
The NLIHC-Led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) continues to advocate for the permanent authorization of the CDBG-DR program through the “Reforming Disaster Recovery Act of 2023.” The bipartisan bill would create a permanent framework for a more efficient and consistent delivery of resources to disaster-impacted communities following a disaster. It would also ensure that the federal government’s long-term disaster assistance can effectively reach those most impacted by disasters in an equitable, transparent, and efficient manner. Letters sent by NLIHC and the NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition were entered during a hearing held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations’ Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development by Chair Brian Schatz (D-HI), who is the primary sponsor of the bill.
Read the report at: https://bit.ly/3TW9W06