Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced on November 2 a bill (S. 2066) to authorize additional funding for Housing Choice Vouchers and for public housing capital and operating funds if requested by a public housing agency in a presidentially declared disaster area. Senator Nelson noted in a statement that tens of thousands of people from Puerto Rico have left the island for Florida only to find a lack of affordable housing options. Representative Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) introduced H.R. 4249, a companion bill mirroring the Nelson bill in the House on November 3. In a press release, Ms. Murphy stated, “Just as we did after Hurricane Katrina, we should give states who receive hurricane victims the resources they need to provide for their current and new residents.” Both bills also offer medical assistance to eligible evacuees through Medicaid.
Related Content
FEMA Administrator Warns of Potential Hurricane Season Budget Shortfall during Appropriations Hearing
The U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriations held a hearing, “Fiscal Year 2025 Request for the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” on April 16. The primary witness was FEMA…
Senator Schatz Calls for Additional Federal Long-Term Disaster Recovery Funding
Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) took to the floor of the U.S. Senate on April 10 to call for additional federal long-term disaster recovery funding for the island of Maui, which was struck by…
Disaster Housing Recovery Update – April 15, 2024
Congressional and National Updates Representatives Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) introduced the “Disaster Resiliency and Coverage Act of 2024” in the U.S. House of Representatives on…