Disaster Housing Reform for American Families Act
The Disaster Housing Reform for American Families Act would amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to create a new, five-year pilot program for quickly constructing temporary disaster housing. The program would authorize the federal government to contract with eligible manufacturers, distributors, retailers, or producers of modular housing to build small (up to 4-unit) manufactured or modular housing that can be made available to people affected by major disasters within about 90 days (potentially 120 days with a Secretary-approved extension). The housing must meet a suite of construction and safety standards, reflect local community needs, and protect occupants from natural hazards. The act also provides for potential waivers of certain requirements, establishes transfer guidelines to move housing into affordable housing programs after disaster recovery, allows the housing to become permanent if desired, and includes closing-cost assistance for home purchases. The pilot program terminates five years after enactment.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of a disaster housing pilot program that contracts with eligible entities (manufacturers, distributors, retailers of manufactured housing, and producers of modular housing) to construct temporary housing for disaster-affected households.
- 2Eligible housing must be manufactured or modular, with up to 4 units, and available within 90 days (120 days with Secretary extension) after a major disaster declaration.
- 3Housing must conform to a broad set of standards and codes (including NFIP/ flood standards, National Manufactured Housing standards, the latest or second latest International Residential Code, applicable state/local/tribal codes, FEMA flood-risk standards, local zoning, ASCE/SEI flood design standard, and 24 CFR part 3280 or successor), and reflect community needs and provide basic natural-hazard protection.
- 4Provisions for permanence and waivers: the housing may become permanent after the disaster period ends, and the Secretary may waive certain standards if needed. The President must also establish transfer guidelines to move housing into affordable housing programs after the disaster period ends.
- 5Program duration and closing-cost assistance: the pilot runs for five years from enactment; the President may provide closing-cost assistance to disaster-affected households seeking mortgages through federal affordable-financing programs.