The Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, December 15 on permanently authorizing HUD’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Program (CDBG-DR), the only source of federal long-term disaster recovery funding and the centerpiece of the DHRC-supported "Reforming Disaster Recovery Act" (S.2471/H.R. 4707).
Congress needs to hear from you! To enact the legislation, Congress will need the support of Senate Republicans, particularly those on the Senate Banking Committee. If you have a Republican Senator, please call them today and urge them to cosponsor this important bill.
FEMA
FEMA requested authority from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to collect broad demographic information on individuals who apply for federal disaster assistance, including applicants’ race and ethnicity. FEMA is accepting written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection through December 17, 2021.
FEMA has not previously collected information on race and ethnicity, precluding advocates from evaluating, identifying, and addressing discriminatory practices within the agency’s disaster assistance programs. NLIHC has continued to urge FEMA to collect comprehensive demographic data and make it publicly available, including through a comment letter submitted this July in response to FEMA’s request for information on the extent to which the agency’s programs and policies perpetuate systemic inequities.
FEMA’s decision to seek authority to collect information about the race and ethnicity of disaster aid applicants comes as the agency faces pressure to address inequities in its distribution of disaster relief and mitigation resources to individuals and communities. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) is investigating possible discrimination in FEMA’s response to hurricanes that devastated Puerto Rico and Texas in 2017. NLIHC’s Diane Yentel testified at the USCCR’s hearing on December 10 to discuss the civil rights implications of the federal response and impact of Hurricane María in Puerto Rico.
FEMA extended the public comment period on its proposed changes to the National Flood Insurance Program’s minimum floodplain management standards. Comments must be submitted by January 27, 2022.
Hurricanes
The New York Times examines how the United States’ federal disaster housing policy repeatedly fails to provide temporary housing to disaster survivors. Three months after Hurricane Ida, Louisiana residents are still waiting on FEMA disaster assistance. Just 126 households of the 4,465 deemed eligible for FEMA direct housing assistance have moved into units.
According to NPR, the 2021 Atlantic season was the third most active year in history. While recovery efforts are ongoing, the 2021 Atlantic season will likely be one of the most expensive in history. Hurricane Ida accounts for more than $60 billion in damages, making it one of the five most costly U.S. hurricanes on record since 1980, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
On the 100th day of Hurricane Ida recovery (12/7), St. Charles Parish President Matt Jewell announced that temporary housing remains an issue. There are about 155 trailers occupied by residents in the parish’s group site, but many residents are still living in mold-infested homes, vehicles, and other poor living conditions. Jewell commented that while he understands residents are frustrated with the pace of receiving trailers, the program is moving faster than FEMA’s direct housing assistance program.
FEMA Individual Assistance (IA) is now available for Orange County residents who suffered losses due to the remnants of Hurricane Ida. Orange County was not initially approved for FEMA IA but appeals to reverse the decision by Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) and others were successful.
Wildfires
Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced on December 2 that FEMA will provide more than $2.4 million to the Oregon Department of Human Services to reimburse the costs of providing non-congregate shelter to residents who lost their homes or were displaced during the 2020 wildfires. The grant will cover the costs of operating 89 shelters for disaster survivors in 22 cities.
Winter Storms
As winter approaches and Texas’ electrical grid remains vulnerable, the Texas Tribune reports cities face gaps in key aspects of disaster preparation, including ensuring that the most marginalized residents have the information they need to survive a winter disaster.