Durbin Joins Warren To Renew Push To Support Survivors Of Natural Disasters
Durbin joined Warren to introduce the Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act
Bill Text | Section by Section
SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to reintroduce the Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act. This bill would streamline the process for people in communities affected by natural disasters and seeking housing assistance.
After devastating natural disasters, like Hurricanes Helene and Milton in late September, survivors can be left with limited options for recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can deny requests for aid if the borrower is unable to provide property titles, written leases, and other similar documents to show residency and occupancy of disaster-damaged property. This provision disproportionately impacts those that do not own the property on which they reside, including renters and those living in mobile homes.
After Hurricane Maria struck in 2017, 77,000 households in Puerto Rico were wrongfully denied assistance by FEMA due to title-documentation issues. While FEMA ultimately made accommodations for those in informal housing and for those who had lost documents in the hurricane, those accommodations were implemented unevenly, and FEMA did not reconsider prior denials of assistance.
The Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act would protect and expand upon acceptable forms of documentation that can be accepted as proof of residence for establishing disaster assistance eligibility—including a pay stub from an employer, a driver’s license or state-issued identification card, or school registration—making it easier for survivors to access aid.
“Natural disasters are an inevitability that must be addressed, especially as climate change results in more frequent severe weather. Hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters force Americans to grapple with unexpected difficulties like displacement and property damage,” said Durbin. “The Housing Survivors of Major Natural Disasters Act would help families access necessary housing aid so they can rebuild their lives and their homes after a natural disaster.”
The Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act would:
- Allow for disaster relief funds to be used for the acquisition of a property title in regions where a natural disaster is declared by the President;
- Require FEMA to consider additional forms of evidence when determining assistance eligibility, including a utility bill, merchant statement, pay stub, current driver’s license or state-issued ID, property title or mobile home certificate of title, property tax receipt, school registration, a will and testament, a death certificate that established automatic transfer of ownership, medical records, a charitable donation receipt, or any other documentation, certification, identification, or proof of occupancy or ownership not included on this list that can reasonably link the individual requesting assistance to the applicable property;
- Require FEMA to create a declarative statement form, which would allow a disaster relief applicant to self-certify eligibility for assistance;
- Allow individuals who have previously been denied assistance due to restrictive proof-of-ownership requirements to reopen cases and use new, expanded documentation to become eligible for assistance;
- Allow disaster relief funds to be used for repairs, not just rebuilding homes that have been rendered completely uninhabitable; and
- Require FEMA and HUD to engage in consultations regarding the implementation of a DHAP, or a similar joint program, within 60 days of a disaster declaration.
Joining Durbin and Warren in introducing the legislation are U.S. Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), George Helmy (D-NJ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
The legislation is supported by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), UnidosUS, Hispanic Federation, Americans for Financial Reform, United Way of Central Massachusetts, Seven Hills Foundation, and Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción.
-30-