The Government Accountability Office (GAO), responsible for congressional oversight, has issued an unprecedented warning about the current state of the U.S.’s disaster recovery system. Coinciding with attempts by Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to decrease the size of the agency’s workforce, the report found that FEMA lacks the necessary staff to carry out its mission.
“Survivors face numerous challenges receiving needed aid, including lengthy and complex application review processes,” the GAO said, echoing a concern that has been raised by advocates for years. “Reforming the federal government’s approach to disaster recovery and reducing fragmentation could improve service delivery to disaster survivors.”
This is the first time GAO has ever put disaster assistance on its annual "High-Risk List," which highlights areas of the federal government that are “seriously vulnerable” to waste, fraud, and abuse or need transformation. Despite this high-risk rating, DOGE has moved forward with dismissing agency staff – threatening the country’s ability to respond to disasters. The GAO urged Congress to create an independent commission “to recommend reforms to the federal government's approach to disaster recovery.”
The report also recommended that Congress permanently authorize HUD’s long-term disaster recovery program. This could be accomplished by passing the NLIHC-endorsed “Reforming Disaster Recovery Act” (RDRA). This bipartisan bill would permanently authorize HUD's Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, which provides flexible grants to help presidentially declared disaster areas rebuild affordable housing and other infrastructure and make critical reforms to ensure a more efficient and equitable disaster recovery. This would be a crucial step forward in reforming the country’s broken disaster recovery system and ensure that all households – especially those with low-incomes – can receive the assistance they need to fully recover.
Read the GAO’s full report here.
Take action to support the RDRA here.
Read more about the RDRA here.