Bill Introduced to Authorize Low Income Rental Housing Repair after a Disaster
Hurricane Recovery
Memo to Members: Vol 12, No. 35, September 7, 2007
On August 3, Representatives Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Brian Higgins (D-NY) introduced H.R. 3422 to amend Section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. The bill would “ensure that certain tenants are able to return to affordable housing after a major disaster.”
H.R. 3422 would authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator to provide funding to a landlord of affordable rental units damaged or destroyed by a major disaster for repair, restoration, reconstruction or replacement of the units. In order to qualify for such funding, the units must have been available to low and moderate income families, as defined by the FEMA administrator, before the disaster, and the owner of the units must agree to keep the units affordable for a period of time determined by the FEMA administrator.
Low income housing advocates have been working toward such a change to the Stafford Act since soon after Hurricane Katrina and will urge passage of H.R. 3422.
The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
