Disaster Assistance Fairness Act

The Disaster Assistance Fairness Act would expand federal disaster relief under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to include residential common interest communities—specifically condominiums and housing cooperatives, and similar homeowner associations. The bill adds formal definitions for these community types, requires new rules to allow debris removal in such communities when a state or local government determines it is in the public interest for life, health, safety, or economic recovery, and broadens eligibility to cover repair of essential common elements (like roofs, exterior walls, HVAC, elevators, etc.) based on documented pro rata shares of costs. The provisions apply to major disasters declared on or after the act’s enactment. In short, the bill aims to ensure that condos, housing cooperatives, and similar common-interest communities receive disaster assistance on par with individual homeowners for both debris removal and essential shared element repairs, with rules and documentation to support fairness and administration.