The following is a review of additional housing recovery developments related to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and the California wildfires since the last Memo to Members and Partners (see Memo1/8).
Hurricane Maria
FEMA extended the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program for another 66 days in Puerto Rico. The extension runs from January 14 through March 20 with an eligibility review in 30 days. NLIHC received the FEMA announcement, but FEMA has yet to post it on its website.
FEMA opened eight disaster recovery centers (DRC) during the first half of January with the government of Puerto Rico. DRCs serve homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage as a result of the hurricanes. Specialists from Puerto Rico municipalities, FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration, nongovernmental organizations and the local community are on hand to help survivors (in English and Spanish) register for assistance, answer questions, and provide information on the types of assistance available to survivors. Links to the DCRs’ websites are at:
- Las Piedras
- Juncos (City Hall)
- Isabela at Basketball Sports Center
- Cidra
- Jayuya, Maricao, Toa Alta and Yabucoa
Hurricane Irma
On January 5, FEMA announced an extension of TSA hotel stays through February 10 for eligible Hurricane Irma Survivors (through check out on Feb. 11). The TSA program pays for temporary hotel accommodations while individuals look for an alternative place to live. TSA participants will receive a phone call telling them whether they are eligible for the extension and what they need to do to remain at their current hotel or find a new hotel. Hurricane Irma survivors who are not currently in TSA but who may be eligible are notified automatically. FEMA pays directly for the room and any applicable taxes. Applicants are responsible for all other incidental costs, such as meals and transportation. Hotels may require a credit card for incidental expenses. A household of four or fewer members is authorized one hotel room, and a household of five or more is authorized additional rooms based on a limit of four people per room. TSA-eligible applicants must find and book their own hotel rooms. The list of participating hotels is on www.DisasterAssistance.gov, under the link “Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program” or by phoning the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362.
Hurricane Harvey
Texas Housers conducted an analysis that identified a correlation between high concentrations of disaster survivors with unmet needs and high concentrations of low income people of color. Much of the area’s low-cost housing stock is concentrated in these flood-ravaged neighborhoods, and much of the region’s low-cost housing stock has been damaged, leaving residents without adequate affordable housing. When the State of Texas, Harris County, and the City of Houston prepare the action plan for spending $5 billion of HUD CDBG Disaster Recovery funds, the analysis demonstrates the need for government officials to prioritize funds to disaster survivors with unmet housing needs as well as to fund the long-denied, missing infrastructure that will protect these neighborhoods from future flooding. Go here to read more and view the 10-minute explanatory video.
General
The consulting group ICF shared a toolkit it developed for the HUD Exchange on how to plan for and then utilize disaster recovery resources for the homeless after a disaster. The toolkit is located here; the most applicable section for those engaged in disaster recovery efforts is the Recovery Guide located here. “In a lot of cases, funding often doesn’t get directed to the most vulnerable populations in part because governments receiving (disaster recovery) dollars don’t know they can be used that way,” said Brandy Bones from ICF.
Here are the first disaster assistance data updates from FEMA for 2018:
Wildfires
FEMA
California
By the Numbers:(as of 1/10/18)
- 4,327 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $14,253,597 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $8,761,899 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $5,491,699 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.
Hurricane Maria
FEMA
Puerto Rico
By the Numbers:(as of 1/10/18)
- 401,921 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $870,522,124 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $464,469,384 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $406,052,740 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
- $491,959,411 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 1/10/18)
- 8,507 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $23,526,790 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $17,636,970 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $5,889,821 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
- $113,948,279 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated, all for emergency work**
- $105,979,860 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) obligated**
- $554,872 Permanent Work (Categories C-G) 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.
Hurricane Irma
FEMA
Florida
By the Numbers: (as of 1/10/18)
- 767,130 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $971,780,868 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $669,101,344 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $302,679,524 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
- $12,848,523 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated, all for emergency work (Categories A-B)**
- $479,226 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
Georgia
By the Numbers: (as of 1/10/18)
- 9,267 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $12,967,286 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $9,524,963 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $3,442,323 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
- $1,392,617 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated**
- $800,406 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) obligated**
- $41,210 Permanent Work (Categories C-G) 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.
Puerto Rico
By the Numbers: (as of 1/10/18)
- 1,251 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $2,801,866 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $1,414,247 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $1,387,620 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
- $2,871,448 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated, all for emergency work**
- $2,871,448 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
U.S. Virgin Islands
By the Numbers: (as of 1/10/18)
- 7,130 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $24,009,022 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $19,064,096 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $4,944,926 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
- $4,429,729 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated*
- $4,407,184 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
Hurricane Harvey
FEMA
Texas
By the Numbers: (as of 1/10/18)
- 366,437 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $1,517,098,921 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $1,155,214,727 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $361,884,194 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
- $504,353,860 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated**
- $440,685,269 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) obligated**
- $730,466 Permanent Work (Categories C-G) 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.