NLIHC submitted comments on behalf of its Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) on July 25 regarding a recent request by FEMA for information regarding the Community Disaster Resilience Zone (CDRZ) program and the National Risk Index (NRI). The request, initially published on May 26, detailed several proposed changes FEMA wished to make concerning the NRI, which is a formula-based analysis of resilience by census tract across the U.S. FEMA sought information from stakeholders regarding how to update the index to ensure that it adequately captures future disaster risk, as well as other ways to improve its formula to better reflect community-level risk.
The request also asked for feedback regarding the new CDRZ program, which was created by legislation supported by NLIHC and the DHRC in 2022. The CDRZ program would involve selecting census tracts around the country based on their vulnerability to disasters and then target these areas for FEMA assistance that would be used to plan and implement mitigation and resilience projects, decreasing communities’ risk of adverse disaster impacts.
In its comments regarding the NRI, NLIHC focused on the reliability of the model, suggesting that the formula does not yet provide a fully appropriate map of risk across the country. The letter pointed to multiple areas where the NRI’s conclusions seem to be incorrect, given community vulnerabilities on the ground. It also requested that the agency publish details regarding potential errors in its database – a common practice among other federal agencies.
Regarding the CDRZ program, NLIHC’s comments covered a range of topics. These topics included the need to target disaster resilience projects toward those households most likely to be severely impacted following a disaster, ensuring that community control mechanisms are created during the planning of any potential mitigation and resilience project, and guaranteeing that, in cases where household displacement is unavoidable, any displaced households are provided robust relocation assistance to ensure they can access permanent housing.
Congressional and National Updates
Congress remains unlikely to replenish FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund anytime soon. While lawmakers on both sides of the aisle recognize the urgency of the issue – FEMA is projected to run out of reserves in August – the congressional schedule and a host of pressing matters make a quick top off of the fund unlikely to occur.
Senators Cassidy (R-LA), Tillis (NC-R), Wyden (D-OR), Lujan (D-NM), Booker (D-NJ), and Schatz (D-HI) introduced an amendment to the “National Defense Authorization Act” (NDAA) that would insert the text of the “Reforming Disaster Recovery Act” (RDRA) into the package. The RDRA would permanently authorize the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, speeding the distribution of long-term recovery funds to disaster survivors following congressional approval and ensuring that funds reach those most in need of assistance following disasters.
HUD recently released a Fair Housing Civil Rights Guide for grantees of the CDBG-DR program. The guide is meant to help states and localities utilize HUD funds in crafting programs that meet federal civil rights requirements.
HUD’s Office of the Inspector General recently released a report addressing the agency’s planned Disaster Recovery Data Portal. While the office found that the portal was still under development, the scope and utility of the proposed portal could both be increased. The portal is meant to streamline data sharing between HUD and FEMA programs to prevent duplication of federal benefits among recipients of disaster assistance.
HUD announced it would collect data on rental housing recovery after disasters in conjunction with its CDBG-DR program. Data collection will consist of the agency interviewing a variety of recipients and grantees regarding the success rates of CDBG-DR-funded recovery programs for rental housing.
FEMA is planning to decommission several systems that support the disasterassistance.gov website. The replacement fix may cause even greater headaches for disaster survivors.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a notice detailing new flexibilities in its Section 504 Home Repair program for areas that have received a presidential disaster declaration. The new flexibilities will assist rural homeowners in accessing repair and recovery funds and grants.
In a paper released by the Brookings Institution, researchers argue that FEMA needs to reevaluate how it assesses and approves disaster declaration requests – a necessary step for any community looking to receive federal disaster assistance.
State and Local
California
FEMA announced that it would be extending federal disaster assistance between July 20 and September 1 in the aftermath of springtime floods that impacted California. Thirteen counties in California received FEMA Individual Assistance approvals, including Tulare, Butte, Kern, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Mono, Monterey, Nevada, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, and Tuolumne counties.
Climate extremes in California are driving up mortality rates among low-income, rural residents of Mendocino County.
Florida
Lee County, Florida, is hosting a series of public meetings to decide how it should spend disaster recovery funds provided to the county by HUD via its CDBG-DR program.
Repair costs are resulting in significant impacts among middle-class communities on the Florida coast that were impacted by Hurricane Ian.
For many survivors of Hurricane Ian, persistent extreme heat is proving to be a second disaster – especially for individuals vulnerable to heat-related health impacts, such as individuals with disabilities and older residents.
Kentucky
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is alleging that political motivations are behind an examination of state disaster relief funds by Republican lawmakers. The lawmakers allege that 200 checks were sent from the state to the wrong people and are requesting an investigation.
Vermont
Vermont continues to confront the impact of catastrophic flooding earlier this month, which led to levels of damage not seen since Tropic Storm Irene in 2011. The homes of residents in one manufactured home park are too damaged to be repaired.
Vermont spent millions in flood mitigation efforts following flooding caused by 2011’s Tropical Storm Irene. Those investments largely paid off during the recent floods. Areas that were located near flood mitigation projects begun at that time saw less flooding and little damage. Areas that had not invested in mitigation projects were hit hardest.