HUD Seeking First-of-its-Kind Public Input to More Equitably and Accurately Allocate Disaster Recovery Funds
Industry Update
December 20, 2022
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released two new Requests for Information (RFIs), marking the first time the Department has asked the public for feedback on how to simplify, modernize, and more equitably distribute critical disaster recovery funds: Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and Mitigation (CDBG-MIT). This move is a broader element of HUD’s newly published Climate Action Plan, which emphasizes both equity and resilience in disaster recovery, as well as the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to strengthening low- and moderate-income communities.
“Having visited the damage of Hurricanes Ian and Ida, I have seen firsthand how weather-related disasters harm communities unequally,” said Marcia L. Fudge, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “Here at HUD, we know that investing in equity and resilience presents us an opportunity to meet our climate goals and build more stable, diverse, and inclusive communities with quality affordable homes for all. These RFIs are the next step in our process to ensure recovery resources can be delivered more efficiently and equitably in the future.”
“Through CDBG-DR funding, we can provide critical support to disaster recovery survivors who need it most,” said Marion Mollegen McFadden, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development. “Only HUD offers disaster resources that prioritize the needs of people of modest means. Unfortunately, the one-off appropriation process delays local access to these funds by months, confusing grantees, producing unnecessary barriers to participation in recovery programs, and thus dulling the effects of our efforts. It’s time we right these wrongs by streamlining how these funds are disseminated – while doubling down on our responsibility to ensure equitable outcomes.”
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