By Oliver Porter, NLIHC DHR Intern and Noah Patton, NLIHC Director of Disaster Recovery
NLIHC and the NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) continue to advocate for disaster management reforms to ensure that low-income disaster survivors receive the support they need to recover. The DHRC is seeking organizational signatories for letters supporting two key priorities: the “Reforming Disaster Recovery Act” (RDRA) and the “Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act.”
The RDRA is a critical piece of legislation that would permanently authorize the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, our country’s only source for long-term disaster recovery funding. This program is the main way communities rebuild, but under the current system, it frequently faces delays and hurdles because it lacks permanent authorization—requiring HUD to issue separate notices and rules each time the program is funded by Congress. The bill would also establish requirements that help ensure these important funds reach the most impacted disaster survivors—including renters and those experiencing homelessness.
The RDRA was recently included in the “ROAD to Housing Act” sponsored by Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee, respectively. That bill was subsequently unanimously passed by the Senate Banking Committee and incorporated into the “National Defense Authorization Act” (NDDAA), a large annual defense funding bill, which was then passed by the Senate. Discussions have been ongoing about whether the “ROAD to Housing Act” will be included in the final version of the bill, which will reach the president’s desk for signature.
While the RDRA addresses HUD Long-Term Disaster Recovery programs, the “FEMA Act” would implement a range of reforms at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The bill would restore FEMA to its former status as an independent, cabinet-level agency, implement important reforms, such as creating a unified assistance application process, extending the duration of FEMA assistance, and reducing barriers for applicants without a fixed address.
To help advance these critical pieces of legislation, the DHRC is requesting signatures on two letters to congressional leadership in support of the bills. These letters are pivotal to continuing efforts to enact these important reforms.
Sign the “FEMA Act” letter here.
Sign the RDRA letter here.