The House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held hearings on disaster recovery on October 26 and 27, respectively. Both featured discussion on topics pertaining to objectives of the Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) – an NLIHC-led group of over 850 local, state, and national organizations working to ensure that all disaster survivors receive the assistance they need to fully recover. On behalf of the DHRC, NLIHC submitted statements for the record for both hearings calling for reforms, such as the implementation of the Disaster Housing Assistance Program and greater access to disaster assistance.
The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management’s hearing, “Are FEMA’s Assistance Programs Adequately Designed to Assist Communities Before, During, and After Wildfire?,” featured Andrew Phelps on behalf of the National Emergency Management Association; Kacey KC, state forester and fire warden at the Nevada Division of Forestry; Rich Elliot on behalf of the International Association of Fire Chiefs; and Casey Hatcher, deputy chief administrative officer of Butte County, CA. Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR)’s opening statement described the impacts wildfires have had on his home state of Oregon and the need to better prepare for such disasters.
Witness statements referenced how the country’s disaster recovery programs are often built around floods and hurricanes, which can cause issues when applying the same rules and regulations to wildfire recovery. Committee members questioned witnesses regarding barriers to FEMA assistance, including reforms pushed by the DHRC, the failure to provide adequate counseling and housing assistance to wildfire survivors, and the lack of capacity at the local levels to apply and manage FEMA assistance. Representative John Garamendi (D-CA) referenced a recent Washington Post article on housing failures after the 2017 Camp Fire and asked whether FEMA-deployed Temporary Housing Units (THU’s) are really the best strategy to deploy after wildfires. Casey Hatcher of Butte County referenced the need for long-term housing assistance given the amount of time it takes many lower-income households to fully recover after a disaster and the temporary nature of many recovery programs offered by FEMA.
Separately, the House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing on October 27 titled “Ensuring Equity in Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.” The hearing featured discussion on multiple DHRC objectives. The witness list for the hearing included Lori Peek, director of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder; Chauncia Willis, CEO of the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management; Christopher Currie, director of the Homeland Security and Justice Team and the Government Accountability Office (GAO); and James Joseph, vice president for response at Tidal Basin.
Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson’s (D-MS) opening statement defined equity as ensuring that rural counties were not left behind after disasters and ensuring access to disaster assistance. Questions from Committee members addressed various aspects of the DHRC’s testimony. Representative Nanette Barragán (D-CA) asked about how FEMA denies assistance to individuals that were experiencing homelessness prior to the disaster, to which Chris Currie from the GAO said was indicative of how FEMA programs are overly focused on those that own their own homes. Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) cited the DHRC’s testimony when asking about how FEMA’s non-discrimination clause is interpreted within the agency to prevent dedicated programs for vulnerable populations. Chauncia Willis said this was reflective of the need for large scale reforms at the agency.
Watch a recording of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure hearing at: https://bit.ly/3pMW9K7
Read the DHRC’s statement for the record submitted to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure at: https://bit.ly/3GKuWy3
Watch a recording of the Committee on Homeland Security hearing at: https://bit.ly/3pMW9K7
Read the DHRC’s statement for the record submitted to the Committee on Homeland Security at: https://bit.ly/3GKuWy3