National Updates
Congress
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards met with Congress last week in a bid to increase the amount of disaster recovery assistance headed to the state, which is still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Ida earlier this month.
The “Disaster Assistance Equity Act” (H.R. 5298) was introduced by Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), John Garamendi (D-CA), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Nancy Mace (R-SC), Paul Ruiz (D-CA), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL), Lee Zeldin (R-NY), and David Rouzer (R-NC). The bill would ensure that fixtures and common areas of condominium communities, homeowners associations, and housing cooperatives are eligible for FEMA debris removal and repair assistance.
U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) recently updated its collection of federal guidance and resources to help communities plans for, respond to, and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and environmental disasters. View the natural disaster collection of guidance and resources here.
Wildfires
FEMA aid after wildfires is not helping survivors to rebuild their homes, and the COVID-19 pandemic is making it difficult for volunteer organizations to fill the gap in services. If a person is deemed eligible for FEMA assistance, the aid is not enough to make a fire-damaged home habitable.
About DHRC
NLIHC’s Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) is a group of over 850 local, state, and national organizations working to secure disaster recovery funding and key reforms to ensure every survivor, including those with the lowest incomes and those most marginalized, receives the assistance they need to fully recover and ensure that their communities can withstand future disasters. Read the DHRC’s full list of priorities here.
To find out more and get involved with the effort to approve disaster recovery funding and pass DHRC-supported reforms, join our Disaster Recovery Working Group that meets weekly on Tuesdays at 3 pm ET. If you haven’t joined already, become a member of the DHRC!