2008DisasterHousingPlan

This2008DisasterHousingPlandescribesFEMAsapproachtoworkingwithFederalpartners,States,territories,localcommunities,andindividualdisastervictimstomeetdisasterhousingneedsduringthe2008hurricaneseason.ThisPlanisbasedonkeyconceptsthatarefurtherdefinedintheNationalDisasterHousingStrategy.

Overview

Intheaftermathofadeclareddisaster,FEMAsinitialactionswillfocusonsupportingStateeffortstoensurethatalldisastervictimsareharboredinsafeandsecureshelters,withaccesstofoodandothernecessarylife-sustainingcommoditiesandresources.Asthesituationstabilizes,FEMAwillreorientitsefforts,insupportofandincoordinationwithStates,totransitionshelterresidentsbackintotheirpre-disasterdwellingsor,ifthosedwellingscannotbere-inhabited,temporaryhousing.

Formostincidents,individualsaregenerallyabletoreturntotheirhomeswithinhoursordaysoftheincident.However,formoreseriousdeclareddisasters,wherenumerousdwellingshavebeendestroyedorrendereduninhabitableforanextendedperiod,additionalhousingassistancewillberequired.Thetypeofhousingassistanceprovidedduringtheintermediateperiod(generallyupto18months)thatcoversthegapbetweenshelteringandsecuringpermanenthousingisreferredtoasinterimhousing.

Findingandprovidingtheactualstructurestohousedisplaceddisastervictimsduringthisinterimhousingperiodisthemosttangiblechallengethatemergencymanagementofficials,atalllevelsofgovernment,face.Optionsvarygreatly,dependingonthenatureoftheevent.Whenthelocalinfrastructureisnotbadlydamagedandthenumberofindividualswithneedsismanageable,housingoptionstypicallycenteraroundtheuseofrentalproperties.However,ifthedamagetothecommunitysinfrastructureismoresignificantandrentalpropertyisinsufficientorunavailable,otheroptionsmustbeconsidered,thusincreasingthecomplexityasmorelevelsofgovernmentandtheprivatesectorbecomeinvolved.

FEMAsapproachistoprovidesafe,flexibleinterimhousingassistancethatcanbeadjustedtotherangeofrequirementsgeneratedbyadisaster.This2008DisasterHousingPlancanexpandtoemploythefullrangeofinterimhousingoptionsandcapabilities.FEMAmay,inclosecoordinationandcollaborationwithbytheState,provideinterimhousingtoeligibledisastervictimswhentheyareeitherunabletoquicklyreturntotheirpre-disasterdwellings,orareunabletoquicklysecurepermanenthousing.FEMAsprioritizedapproachtointerimhousingisasfollows:

First:MaximizeAvailableHousingResources
Second:UseTraditionalFormsofInterimHousing
Third:EmployInnovativeFormsofInterimHousing
Fourth:AuthorizePermanentConstruction

DisasterHousingResponseActions

1st
 MaximizeAvailableHousingResources
 

 ImplementImmediateTemporaryRepairs.FEMAwillprovidetarpsorcoordinate,throughtheU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers,installationofplasticsheetingtolimitfurtherdamagetohomesandmakethemhabitableuntilpermanentrepairscanbemade.

 ProvideRepairandReplacementAssistance.Followinginspectionandverificationofdamages,FEMAwillprovideeligiblehomeownersupto$28,800forrepairstomaketheirhomehabitable,ortoreplaceadestroyedorcondemnedhome.

 ImplementFinancialRentalAssistance.Ifadamagedhomeisdestroyedorcannotberepairedquicklyanddisastervictimsareeligibleforassistance,FEMAwillprovidefinancialassistance.Thisassistance,whichisbasedontheFairMarketRent,canbeusedtorentanapartmentorothertemporaryhousingwhilerepairsareunderwayordisastervictimslookforpermanenthousing.

 CataloguingVacantRentalProperties.FEMAwillworkwithcommunitygroupsandothergovernmentagenciestocatalogueavailablerentalpropertythroughouttheaffectedarea,andbeginprovidingthatinformationtodisastervictimsseekingaffordablerentalhousing.Cataloguingofavailablerentalpropertieswillalsoidentifyinformationregardingtheavailabilityoffully-accessibleunitsandunitswithaccessiblefeaturesusablebypersonswithadisability.Thisinformationshouldalsobeavailableincommunicationformatsthatareaccessibletoandusablebypersonswithadisability.

 UseTransitionalShelters.Ifemergencysheltersareoverwhelmedand/orFEMAdeterminesthatshelterresidentsandevacueeswillnotbeabletoreturntotheirhomesforanextendedperiodoftime,FEMAmayauthorizeeligibledisastervictimstoreceivetemporaryhotel-motelfundingassistanceundertheTransitionalShelterProtocol.Underthisprotocol,FEMAwillauthorizeandfundtheuseofhotels/motelsastransitionalsheltersusingauthorizationcodes.TransitionalshelteringisfundedunderthePublicAssistanceProgram,CategoryB,EmergencyProtectiveMeasures.TheinitialperiodofsubsidywillbeestablishedbyFEMA,butmaynotexceed30days.

 Host-StateHousingProtocol.IfsignificantnumbersofdisastervictimshavebeendisplacedtootherStates,FEMAmayimplementtheHost-StateHousingProtocol.ThisprotocolenablesFEMAtocoordinaterentalassistancepayments,atorbasedonFairMarketRent,directlytopropertyownersthroughFederalpartnersoracontractagent.Thisassistancecanbeprovidedforupto18monthsforevacueeswhoareeligible.WhilethisprotocolisdesignedforuseinsituationswhereStatesarehostinglargenumbersofevacueesfromanotherStateforanextendedperiodoftime,itmayalsobeemployedwithintheaffectedhomeState.Underthisprotocol,StatesmaynotplacedisastervictimsinapartmentsorothertemporaryhousingforreimbursementthroughFEMAsPublicAssistanceProgram.

2nd
 UseTraditionalFormsofInterimHousing
 

 ProvideManufacturedHousingAssistance.Ifnofixedapartmentsorotherrentable/leasablepropertiesareavailableatorbasedontheFairMarketRentwithinareasonablecommutingdistance,temporaryhousingunitsmaybeneeded.WhenrequestedbyaState,FEMAwillprovidearangeofoptionsfortemporaryhousingunits,whichmayincludemobilehomes,parkmodels,orotheralternativeformsofacceptabletemporaryhousing.OncetheappropriateoptionsaredeterminedacceptablebytheState,temporaryhousingcanbelocatedonaneligiblevictimsprivateproperty,onapre-existingcommercialpad,orasalastresortonanewgroupsiteapprovedbylocalofficialsandconstructedandmaintainedbyFEMA.

 ConductPre-PlacementInterviews(PPIs).FEMAwillimmediatelybeginPre-PlacementInterviewswithregistered,eligibledisastervictimstoassesshowlongtheywillneedinterimhousingassistanceandidentifytheiroptimumsolution.

 CatalogueVacantCommercialManufacturedHousingPads.FEMAwillworkwithlocalofficialstoidentifypadlocationsthroughouttheaffectedareaandbeginnegotiationsforleaseofthosepads.

 IdentifyingProspectiveGroupSiteLocations.FEMAwillworkwithlocalofficialstoidentifyandbeginnegotiationstoobtainprospectivesitesforextendedoccupation.

 IdentifyDisasterVictimsAbletoSupportOn-PropertyHousing.BasedonthePre-PlacementInterviews,FEMAwillidentifythoseindividualswhoareeligibleforplacementofahousingunitontheirproperty.Thiscouldincludeamobilehome,parkmodel,orotherformofalternativehousing.

 TransportMobileHomesandParkModelsfromFEMAInventory.FEMAwillmovequicklytotransporthousingunitsintotheaffectedareaandbegininstallingthosepre-testedandState-clearedunitsonaprioritizedbasisassitesbecomeavailableoraremadereadyforinstallation.

 AccelerateProductionandDeliveryofnewMobileHomeandParkModelContracts.Whenconfrontedwiththepotentialforademandthatcouldexceedthenumberofon-handhousingunitsreadyfordispatch,FEMAwillacceleratedeliveriesoncompetitivelyawardedcontractstoobtainsufficienthousingunits.ThesecontractsincludeunitsthatmeettheneedsofdisastervictimswithdisabilitiesandcomplywiththeUniformFederalAccessibilityStandards(UFAS).

Note:FEMAwilltestalltemporaryhousingunits(mobilehomes,parkmodels,orotheralternativeformsofacceptabletemporaryhousing)forformaldehydebeforedeployingthem.EachStatewillexerciseitspublichealthresponsibilityanddeterminewhetherthatlevelisacceptablebeforeanyunitisprovidedtoitsresidents.

WithrespecttomobilehomesandparkmodelsmanufacturedforFEMAgoingforward,FEMAnowrequires,bycontract,suchunitstohaveindoorairlevelsofformaldehydelessthan0.016partspermillion.

FEMAwillnolongerenterintocontractsforthemanufactureoftraveltrailers,andFEMAwillnotnormallyconsidertraveltrailersforinterimhousingindeclareddisasters.FEMAwillonlyconsideruseoftraveltrailersattherequestoftheStateinextraordinarydisasterconditionsasalastresort,whennootherformofinterimhousingisavailable.Further,intheseextraordinaryconditions,FEMAwillauthorizetraveltrailersforuseONLYonprivateproperty(i.e.,notingroupsites);ONLYforamaximumofsixmonthsoccupancy(i.e,whenthelevelofdamagetotheoccupantspre-disasterdwellingcanberepairedinlessthansixmonths);andONLYaftertheStatehasdeterminedforitselftheacceptablelevelofformaldehyde.

3rd
 EmployInnovativeFormsofInterimHousing
 

 IdentifyAlternativeFormsofDirectHousing.FEMAwillworkwithStatestofairlyandequitablyidentifyeligiblehouseholdsforalternativehousing.Ingeneral,thepriorityforsuchhousingwillbeprivatesiteapplicantswhosepropertyistoosmalltoaccommodateamobilehomeorparkmodel,butmayaccommodateanalternativeformofhousing.

 LeverageLessonsLearnedfromtheJointHousingSolutionsGroupandtheAlternativeHousingPilotProgram(AHPP),wherefeasibleandappropriate,toproduceadditionalpilotunits(e.g.,KatrinaCottages)proventobeprovisionallyeffectiveintheAHPP.

4th
 AuthorizePermanentConstruction
 

 IncoordinationwiththeDepartmentofHousingandUrbanDevelopment(HUD),searchforcost-effectiveopportunitiestoconductoneormoremultifamilyapartmentrehabilitationprojectsundertheauthorityoftheIAPilotProgram.

 IncoordinationwithHUDandtheaffectedState,authorizePermanentHousingConstructionunderSection408oftheRobertT.StaffordDisasterReliefandEmergencyAssistanceAct,inthoserareandunusualcaseswhereprecedingformsofinterimhousingareunavailable,infeasible,ornotcost-effective.

DisasterHousingSupportActions

Insupportoftheoperationalstrategicassistancedescribedabove,FEMAand/orStateswilltakethefollowingcatastrophichousingsupportactions:

MaximizeSupportandOutreachtoDisasterVictims


 IncreaseCapacitytoRegisterVictimsforAssistance.FEMAwillassignadditionalstaff,surgeitsnationalcallcenters,andwillrequestadditionalcallcentersupportfromtheInternalRevenueService.FEMAwillalsouseonlineregistrationsystemsandimplementtheShelterRegistrationProtocol,allowingFEMApersonneltodeployto-andregisterdisastervictimsatlargeshelterfacilities.

 AccelerateHousingInspections.BecauseFEMAmaynotprovideinterimhousingassistancetoregistereddisastervictimsuntiltheirpre-disasterdwellingshavebeeninspectedandtheireligibilityverified,FEMAwilldirectitsHousingInspectionContractorstoacceleratethepaceofinspectionsthroughsurgestaffing(whilestillmaintainingthenecessaryhighdegreeofaccuracy).

 ExpandPublicDisseminationofHousingInformationtoDisasterVictims.FEMAwillsaturateallmediumsofpubliccommunicationwithpublicservicemessagesoutliningsourcesofassistance,aswellasdispatchteamstoallaffectedjurisdictionstoanswerdisastervictimshousingassistancequestions.

EstablishCommonHousingRequirementsPicture


 DefineandCharacterizeInterimHousingRequirements.FEMA,incoordinationwitheachaffectedState,willbeginevaluatingdamageassessment,victimreporting,andhousinginspectioninformationtoidentifydisasterhousingrequirements.Ataminimum,disasterhousingrequirementsmustdeterminethenumberandlocationsofhouseholdsrequiringinterimhousingassistanceandestablishprojectionsforwhattypesandnumbersofinterimhousingwillberequired.

EstablishaUnifiedState/FederalHousingSolutionsTaskForce


 EachStatetoEstablishandLeadaHousingSolutionsTaskForce.Whentheimpactofthedisastermayrequirethedevelopmentofinterimhousingoptions,theStatemaychoosetoconveneaHousingSolutionsTaskForceattheJointFieldOfficetobringtogetherState,Federal,non-governmentalandprivatesectorexpertisetoevaluatehousingrequirements,considerpotentialsolutionsandproposerecommendations,someofwhichmayrequirenational-levelconcurrenceorengagement.StatesmayalsowanttoincludedisabilityorganizationsandadvocacygroupsontheTaskForcetoprovideadviceregardinghousingrequirementsforthosewithspecialneedsorlimitedEnglishproficiency.