On the Home Front

Federal Response Congress Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY) have introduced “The Housing Victims of Major Disasters Act” (2996 and H.R.5474), which would activate the Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) and address the challenges disaster survivors in Puerto Rico have had securing FEMA assistance due to title issues and informal housing. NLIHC Continue reading

Federal Response Congress Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren (D) and Edward Markey (D) sent a letter on June 21 to FEMA Administrator Brock Long admonishing him for not standing up the Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) for Hurricane Maria survivors. Point-by-point, the senators counter the reasons offered by FEMA for not working with HUD to set up DHAP Continue reading

Federal Response Congress Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) called on Senate leadership in a letter to take up two bills to help hurricane survivors find safe and affordable housing. The Disaster Housing Assistance Act (S.2880) requires FEMA to provide disaster housing assistance through February 2019; the Disaster Displacement Act (S.2066) provides additional Section 8 housing vouchers Continue reading

Federal Response Congress Representative Ann Wagner’s (R-MO) bill to permanently authorize CDBG-DR has passed through committee with a vote of 53-3. The bill–including several amendments drafted in consultation with NLIHC and DHRC–will now move to the House floor.  Congressman Al Green (D-TX) acknowledged the support of these groups (at timestamp 1:13:20). Bills have been introduced Continue reading

Federal Response Congress Eight Senators introduced the “Housing Victims of Major Disasters Act of 2018” on May 31, which will require FEMA to enter into an interagency agreement with HUD to activate the Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) as may be necessary in any of the 2017 disasters, including Hurricane Maria. This is in response to Continue reading