The following is a review of additional housing recovery developments related to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and the California wildfires since last week’s Memo to Members and Partners (for the article in last week’s Memo, see 11/13). NLIHC also posts this information at our On the Home Front blog.
General Updates
NLIHC has updated its summary of known application deadlines from the FEMA website. The summary includes deadlines for programs administered by FEMA, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Labor, the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and HUD.
HUD
HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing sent additional guidance for public housing agencies (PHAs) receiving requests from Puerto Rican or Virgin Islands households who have Housing Choice Vouchers and wish to use their vouchers on the mainland (“port” their vouchers), but whose local PHA (the “initial PHA”) cannot carry out the necessary procedures due to the hurricanes because, for example, the PHA does not have electricity. HUD issued preliminary guidance via email on October 11 (see Memo, 10/23). HUD published a list that includes all PHAs in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands indicating whether a “receiving PHA” on the mainland can use alternative procedures to complete porting requests. HUD will update this list by 5:00 pm ET every Thursday to reflect changes that allow initial PHAs to resume normal portability operations. This disaster portability guidance will be in effect until January 31, 2018, unless HUD extends this date.
California Wildfires
By the Numbers: (as of 11/16)
- 4,014 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $10,917,435 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $7,045,391 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $3,872,044 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.
A release from FEMA provides additional numbers regarding recovery efforts in California as of November 9.
- 73% of requested site inspections are complete.
- 199 families (469 individuals) are housed through the TSA program.
- 100% of household hazardous waste has been completed in four counties, and 70% has been completed in the others.
- 1,369 loan applications have been submitted to the Small Business Administration from homeowners.
- $27 million has been approved by SBA.
The recent fires have destroyed vegetation that normally absorbs rainfall, making homes more vulnerable to flooding. FEMA is urging people in areas affected by the fires that are not traditionally flood-prone to invest in flood insurance.
Hurricane Maria
FEMA
Puerto Rico
By the Numbers: (as of 11/16)
- 231,420 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $146,399,031 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $104,681,466 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
- $426,691,550 Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated** all of which are for Emergency Work (Categories A-B)
*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.
**Funds made available to the state via electronic transfer following FEMA's final review and approval of Public Assistance projects
U.S. Virgin Islands
By the Numbers: (as of 11/16)
- 3,477 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $3,943,361 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $2,027,781 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $1,915,580 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
- $105,405,081 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) dollars obligated**
*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.
**Funds made available to the State via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.
Local Perspectives
FEMA and the Florida Division of Emergency Management are coordinating to provide assistance to the thousands of Puerto Ricans who have evacuated to Florida. Temporary Shelter Assistance (TSA) is already available for short-term housing assistance in hotels. Other disaster recovery housing resources like short-term rental assistance, however, are not available to those interested in staying in Florida long-term. FEMA still recommends these individuals and households register with FEMA in case these other resources are activated for evacuees from Puerto Rico in the future.
Many Puerto Ricans are struggling with their mental health following the trauma of Hurricane Maria. Health officials warn that a full-blown mental health crisis may arise as survivors cope with the post-traumatic stress. For those who were struggling with mental illness prior to the hurricane, the lack of stability and resources is exacerbating their illnesses.
Hurricane Irma
FEMA
Florida
By the Numbers: (as of 11/16)
- 741,691 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $915,642,434 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $629,536,540 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $286,105,894 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.
FEMA reminds renters and homeowners currently receiving FEMA rental assistance that they should submit an application for Continued Rental Assistance in order to receive that support for up to two additional months. Households must show they are developing a longer-term or permanent housing plan or demonstrate progress toward one. A contractor’s estimate of repairs can point to progress. A permanent housing plan is one that would put a household back into permanent safe, sanitary and functional housing within a reasonable time frame.
Georgia
By the Numbers: (as of 11/16)
- 8,974 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $12,221,066 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $8,924,410 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $3,296,656 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
- $26,488 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated, all for emergency work (Categories A-B)**
*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.
**Funds made available to the state via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.
Puerto Rico
By the Numbers: (as of 11/16)
- 980 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $2,099,571 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $1,103,467 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $996,104 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
- $2,871,448 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated, all for emergency work (Categories A-B)**
*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.
**Funds made available to the state via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.
U.S. Virgin Islands
By the Numbers: (as of 11/16)
- 4,445 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $7,495,955 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $5,188,366 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $2,307,589 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
- $3,510,123 Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated** all of which are for Emergency Work (Categories A-B)
*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.
**Funds made available to the state via electronic transfer following FEMA's final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.
Local Perspectives
Two months after the storm, nearly 73% of residents in the U.S. Virgin Islands have no power. The Virgin Islands Power and Water Authority is committed to restoring power in 90% of all areas across the Virgin Islands by Christmas. Last week, the boil-water notice was lifted for St. Thomas and St. John, although it remains in effect for St. Croix. As in Puerto Rico, the territory has a significant level of debt and relies on federal funding for rebuilding.
Representative Carlos Curbelo (D-FL) has been advocating for the Navy to open 166 vacant units at Sigsbee Park, part of a Naval Air Station in the Florida Keys. Curbelo is urging the Navy to open the units to the public as soon as possible. Even before Hurricane Irma, affordable housing options in the Keys were limited, and the need is even more urgent now.
Hurricane Harvey
FEMA
Texas
By the Numbers: (as of 11/16)
- 351,897 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $1,399,376,519 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $1,088,260,934 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $311,115,585 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
- $490,375,001 Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated**
- $427,436,876 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) obligated**
*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.
**Funds made available to the state via electronic transfer following FEMA's final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.
Local Perspectives
The Weekly Update from the Governor’s Commission to Rebuild Texas provides some additional numbers on the recovery efforts in Texas. As of November 8, there were 914 requests for FEMA Public Assistance from jurisdictions, 887,146 applications for FEMA Individual Assistance received, 48,439 participants in Temporary Shelter Assistance (TSA), and 557,338 inspections completed by FEMA.
On November 8, mayors and county officials from the Texas Coast testified before a Texas House Appropriations Committee about the continuing difficulties their communities are facing. They described the lack of housing available in small towns such as Fulton, Rockport, Port Aransas, and Refugio. Many of these towns do not have the financial capacity to rebuild or provide resources without some assistance. The local elected officials expressed frustration with the process, saying they are often continuously referred to another agency when looking for answers.
A Texas General Land Office (GLO) media release indicates that repairs were completed on the home of the first recipient of the Direct Assistance for Limited Home Repair (DALHR) program. A video and still photos are available on the GLO website. DALHR provides homeowners with assistance to make permanent repairs to homes that incurred moderate damage. DALHR is one of five FEMA programs GLO is administering to provide housing assistance for hurricane survivors. To be eligible for DALHR, a home must have had at least 18 inches of water and a FEMA inspection indicating a loss of at least $17,000. Uninsured damages must be less than 50% of the pre-disaster tax assessed value and may not exceed $60,000. Repairs must be made within 90 days. Homes located in the Special Flood Hazard Area are not eligible.
In an interview with a local magazine, Tory Gunsolley, president and CEO of the Houston Housing Authority (HHA), expressed concern about the proposed federal funding levels for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. Prior to Hurricane Harvey, HHA had to stop issuing HCVs, and he said he is not optimistic about being able to issue vouchers again anytime soon. “The safety net of public housing and affordable housing is full,” Mr. Gunsolley said. “It was full before Harvey and now that folks need it even more, it doesn’t have the capacity to add people to it.”
HHA has 400 voucher households that need to be relocated due to flooding. In addition, 951 public housing units were damaged during the storm. For example, the Forest Green Townhomes experienced severe flooding, impacting 84 families. HHA worked with the Oklahoma City Housing Authority to assist all the families at Forest Green that experienced flood damage to their homes.
Mr. Gunsolley advocates creating a Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP), which worked well after Hurricane Katrina. DHAP would use housing authorities across the region to help the thousands of low income households impacted by the storm. FEMA must authorize HUD to roll out such a program. Mr. Gunsolley also urges people to be vocal about the need for recovery to be fair and equitable to everyone. “We need to speak up for those voices that aren’t often heard in Washington,” he said.