The following is a review of additional disaster housing recovery developments since the last edition of Memo to Members and Partners (for the article in the previous Memo, see 3/11).
Alabama Tornados
HUD will provide mortgage relief and other support to homeowners and low-income renters displaced following the hurricanes in Lee County, AL. As with all major disaster declarations, HUD implemented a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured home mortgages and made additional insurance options available.
2018 California Wildfires
The Paradise Town Council is holding public meetings about the reconstruction of the town. Town officials are working to ensure Paradise is built to be more resilient but stays affordable enough that residents can return. The next meeting is March 19.
Hurricane Michael
Florida
Federal Response
A recent FEMA news release reports that nearly 2,100 households have participated in the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) hotel-stay program and about 400 families remain in FEMA-funded hotels. About 760 families have received temporary housing, including mobile homes, travel trailers, and direct-lease properties.
President Trump amended the Florida disaster declaration for Hurricane Michael to provide 100% federal cost-share for debris removal and emergency protective activities occurring within 45 days of the storm’s landfall.
State Action
The Florida Senate introduced a bipartisan $315 million proposal (SB 1610) to provide disaster relief to areas impacted by Hurricane Michael. Among other initiatives, the bill would establish a Hurricane Housing Recovery Program to fund local affordable housing recovery efforts.
Local Perspectives and Resources
The Panama City News Herald reports that, although FEMA has agreed to increase the voucher amount for TSA participants in response to tourist-season prices, local officials are pressuring the agency to extend the program beyond the current April 9 deadline.
Thirteen households remain at the Massalina Memorial Homes public housing development in Panama City and may face eviction proceedings this week. Even with vouchers, many survivors have struggled to find affordable housing and and cannot afford to move; many continue to live in moldy apartments. A new photo series showcases these families and their continued struggles.
Hurricane Florence
North Carolina
The TSA program ended on March 12 for survivors of Hurricane Florence. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety reports that 436 survivors (146) households remained in hotel rooms on that day. Many remaining families have already bounced from place to place trying to find stable housing, but federal and private assistance generally does not help them secure long-term homes.
South Carolina
Following Hurricane Florence, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, SC Housing, and other state agencies conducted assessments of local community needs, focusing on housing, infrastructure, and economic injury to small businesses and local agriculture. Many local officials reported that multiple disasters and severe weather events over the past few years have compounded housing needs in their communities. They noted that low-income households were particularly vulnerable since affordable housing options were scare, especially in rural areas. The shortage of housing forced many low-income families to stay in damaged homes. The results of these assessments compelled SC Housing to convene an interagency Housing Solutions Task Force to support disaster housing recovery efforts.
2017 Disasters
Federal Response
FEMA has awarded almost $70 million specifically for disaster case-management services in Puerto Rico. Through nine organizations, about 650 case managers will meet with survivors in recovery centers and other facilities across the island to help them with long-term recovery needs. This partnership began in September 2018.
Local Perspectives and Resources
A recent op-ed in The Hill discusses the importance of mitigation funding and the need to release the nearly $16 billion appropriated for mitigation through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program as soon as possible.
The Hispanic Federation announced on March 12 a $3.17 million initiative to support local organizations in Puerto Rico working to promote community development following Hurricane Maria. Funding will go to rebuilding homes, providing legal-aid services, and other collective advocacy efforts. Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico will utilize part of its funding to launch a hotline for those seeking legal help with foreclosures or other housing questions. The new hotline (787-957-3106) opens March 19.
Although the Puerto Rico government has requested major repairs for 4,792 projects, FEMA has proceeded with only 67. After Hurricane Katrina, more than 9,000 projects were underway during a similar time frame. Although FEMA has approved $371.3 million for restoring infrastructure, it has disbursed only $35 million. Unlike with states on the mainland, FEMA is controlling the funding instead of allocating it to local officials. This delay in funding is preventing vital repairs to hospitals and other necessary facilities and resources.
Any Hurricane Irma survivors who failed to move out of their FEMA trailer by March 10 were expected to pay a $1,700 fine. A few days before the deadline, about 27 households remained in the trailers. Many more families in Monroe County, FL, are also living in other temporary housing solutions like privately-owned trailers. Hurricane Irma damaged or destroyed an estimated 4,000 homes in the Florida Keys, an area with already scarce affordable housing options.