Chapter Appendix A - Recommendations
Section Mass Care and Housing
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Critical Challenge: Mass Care and Housing
Lesson Learned: Using established Federal core competencies and all available resources, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, in coordination with other departments of the Executive Branch with housing stock, should develop integrated plans and bolstered capabilities for the temporary and long-term housing of evacuees. The American Red Cross and the Department of Homeland Security should retain responsibility and improve the process of mass care and sheltering during disasters.
Recommendations:
68. ARC and DHS should retain the mass care and sheltering responsibility during disasters. With long-standing experience providing mass care and shelters during disasters, ARC is a highly valued national asset: it must be a primary agency, along with DHS. ARC has extensive experience with mass care and sheltering during disasters, however, their status as a non-government organization limits their access to Federal planning meetings. DHS and ARC should strengthen their planning and operational relationships with HUD. HUD’s expertise lies in the provision of mid- and long-term housing. To assure the appropriate expertise is brought to bear in all phases of a disaster (preparation, response, recovery and rebuilding) and a seamless integration of care for disaster victims, HUD, DHS and ARC must develop a close working relationship, not just during crises. During non-emergency times, they must jointly plan for mass care and housing during disasters. In conjunction with other Federal agencies, they must train for disasters and conduct exercises to evaluate the response readiness of the Federal government.
69. Designate HUD as the lead Federal agency for the provision of temporary housing. HUD, with extensive experience providing housing resources for those in need, must use its extensive network of regional offices and State and local housing agencies, to prepare for potential relocation emergencies. While there will always be a need for some victims to remain on their property while rebuilding their homes, the provision of trailers should not be the default means of temporary housing offered to all evacuees leaving shelters. HUD, rather than DHS, should be the lead Federal agency for housing and HUD should devote resources to gain this competency with support from ARC, and other Federal agencies. HUD must create a professional staff to augment its current housing capacity in order to create the ability to arrange housing for disaster victims and adequately train, exercise and resource this capability. But, DHS should retain its vital coordinating function for the entire disaster response. It should be understood that the development of these capabilities will take time and in most cases will be grown to full capacity incrementally.
70. Assist States and municipalities in developing mass relocation plans for each major metropolitan area and inventories of existing shelters and shelter sites. Such plans must match mass evacuation plans developed for metropolitan areas and should include the pre-identification of sites suitable for the establishment of shelters. Plans should also include appropriate guidelines regarding suitable shelters and thorough inventories of shelters already in existence. HUD should receive the lead role in relocation planning and inventorying shelters, with DOT, DOI and USDA assuming supporting roles. HUD can combine data from Federal, State, and local sources to compile inventories and establish the frequency of inventory updates. Federal grant money should be predicated on States and municipalities periodically updating their relocation plans and shelter inventories.
71. DHS should develop a system to maintain awareness of the movement of shelter and temporary housing residents. Local, State, and Federal officials in charge of sheltering evacuees must know the number and type (e.g., number of disabled, number of minors) of evacuees in addition to their names and personal identifying data as they move between shelters and from shelters to temporary housing. This will improve allocation of resources to shelters (such as food and water), as well as the reunion of separated family members. Such a system must complement other systems to register evacuees for available social services.
72. DHS should review and revise the Federal regulations under the Stafford Act to emphasize “location-independent” housing assistance. Current regulations allow payment of rental subsidies to disaster victims, but not the routine payment of security deposits or utility fees. Reimbursement for repairs to existing available housing units are also not authorized, effectively precluding the use of a large supply of federally controlled units that may only need minor repairs in order to be occupied. These restrictions effectively push many people to trailers and other manufactured housing units, while leaving other available housing vacant. Revising these housing regulations would allow greater flexibility in meeting urgent housing needs in the aftermath of a disaster.
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