A major disaster declaration has been issued for Texas, enabling the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide disaster recovery support for areas affected by storms and flooding in March.
HUD will be able to deliver critical disaster aid to help communities recover from inclement weather that destroyed homes, neighborhoods and businesses in South Texas. This will include delivering financial flexibility and disaster recovery resources to impacted communities, starting with a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of select mortgages.
Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) located in an active presidentially declared Major Disaster Declaration (MDD) area will directly benefit from greater flexibility. Starting immediately, PHAs can apply for waivers and flexibility for disaster relief and recovery within four months of the MDD announcement. Waivers will allow PHAs to forgo certain regulatory or administrative requirements, such as date of birth and disability status verification, income verification for eligibility or that homes are actively occupied.
Grantees from designated federal grant programs are eligibile to apply for administrative flexibility during an MDD. If chosen, recipients would be able to receive a waiver or suspension of program requirements to better serve affected communities. Funding applicable for this type of flexibility may come from the following programs:
- Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
- Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA).
- Continuum of Care (CoC).
- Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG).
- HOME Investment Partnerships.
- Housing Trust Fund (HTF).
HUD will also share information on housing providers and department programs with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the state. The information will cover housing providers that may have available units in impacted counties, including PHAs and multi-family owners.
Financial flexibility will also extend to Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities, empowering Indian Housing Block Grant and Indian Community Development Block Grant recipients to apply for waivers and flexibilities for disaster relief and recovery.
As per the MDD, federal assistance will provide grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-interest loans for uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover. HUD will offer additional disaster recovery resources to help homeowners better manage their existing mortgages, rehabilitate damaged homes and avoid housing discrimination while finding housing after a disaster.
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