General To increase the responsiveness of federal disaster housing programs, the Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition has developed an online tool for capturing the individual stories of disaster survivors. These accounts of unmet need will be collected for use with policymakers and media to illustrate the unique housing challenges low income survivors face after a disaster Continue reading

Federal Response Congress The House Homeland Security Committee is hosting a field hearing on Hurricane Harvey Lessons. The hearing will be held on April 9 at 10:30 AM CDT at Berry Center, 8877 Barker Cypress, Cypress, TX. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) OMB Director Mick Mulvaney issued a memo with guidance for agencies regarding Continue reading

General Updates Letter Urging Public Input in PR. NLIHC, other national advocates, and local organizations in Puerto Rico sent a letter to Governor Rosselló and HUD Secretary Carson expressing their concern about the lack of opportunity for community input on long-term disaster recovery plans. While public meetings were held, the events failed to provide key Continue reading

GENERAL UPDATES Free legal assistance is available for all disaster survivors in California, Florida, Puerto Rico, Texas, and the U.S. Virgin Islands through the Disaster Legal Services of the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers division. The hotline can help individuals appeal FEMA denials, make insurance claims, replace legal documents, provide counseling on landlord/tenant issues, and Continue reading