HUD released on July 19 an Interim Final Rule (IFR) in the Federal Register regarding its Rapid Unsheltered Survivor Housing (RUSH) program. The rule covers many aspects of the program, addressing the formula for determining the amount of funding allocations, where jurisdictions can receive funds, eligible uses of funds, and transparency requirements. Comments on the rule will be accepted through September 16, 2024. The NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) will submit comments on the IFR.
Established in 2022, RUSH provides funds to help communities offer outreach, emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, and other assistance to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness who are in a disaster-affected area but who cannot access all services provided by FEMA programs. The program was created following years of advocacy by the DHRC, which includes the National Housing Law Project and over 900 other local, state, and national advocacy organizations.
RUSH was first deployed in the fall of 2022 to support the response to Hurricane Ian, which decimated the southwest coast of Florida. However, at this time, funding has only just begun to reach impacted communities, and many of those individuals with the fewest resources who were most impacted by the hurricane continue to experience severe housing instability and homelessness.
NLIHC and the National Housing Law Project (NHLP) released a report last year exploring the initial implementation of the RUSH program. The report, Plugging the Gaps: Recommendations for HUD’s RUSH Program, found that while RUSH offers vital support to disaster-impacted communities, initial implementation of the program in Florida was hampered by challenges that must be remedied before future deployment.
Read the IFR here.