HR 426119th CongressIn Committee

Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act

Introduced: Jan 15, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act would expand and smooth access to federal disaster housing assistance through the Stafford Act. It creates a “constructive ownership” standard allowing individuals to demonstrate ownership of their predisaster home using a broad set of documents or a perjury-signed declarative statement (without notarization) if ownership is not clearly documented. This makes it easier for people who lost title or other ownership proofs to qualify for housing assistance after a major disaster. It also broadens the types of housing assistance allowed, including cost-effective alternatives to traditional options and a pilot program for grants. The changes would apply only to new applications and new appropriations enacted after the bill’s passage, and they must comply with a PAYGO budget process.

Key Points

1Constructive ownership and expanded evidence
2- If someone lacks documented ownership, FEMA can determine ownership if evidence shows it is more likely than not that they own the home.
3- A broad list of acceptable evidence includes deeds, mortgage documents, title certificates, tax receipts, wills, insurance docs, purchase contracts, maintenance receipts, court documents, and other reasonably linking documents (A-N). A declarative statement under penalty of perjury can be used if evidence is insufficient, and notarization is not required.
4Owner-occupied definition for eligibility
5- “Constructive ownership” means the residence is owner-occupied for purposes of housing assistance under Stafford Act Section 408.
6Expanded housing assistance options
7- The Act changes the language around housing assistance to allow cost-effective alternatives to traditional housing solutions, including considerations of temporary housing costs.
8Grants pilot program
9- The bill revises the provisions governing grants under the Stafford Act’s housing assistance, removing certain deadlines and sunset language, effectively broadening or extending the grant pilot program as an option.
10Applicability and budget
11- The changes apply only to applications received after enactment and to amounts appropriated after enactment.
12- The bill requires consideration of budgetary effects under PAYGO rules.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Disaster survivors and households seeking housing assistance who lack clear, documented ownership of their predisaster primary residence. This could include homeowners who misplaced titles, inherited property, or have challenging title histories.Secondary group/area affected- Federal and state disaster response agencies (notably FEMA), which would administer eligibility determinations under the new constructive-ownership standard; local housing and disaster recovery agencies; and entities administering grants and other housing assistance.Additional impacts- Potentially higher eligibility and/or faster access to housing assistance for more applicants, with corresponding budget implications and a need for monitoring against fraud risk.- Shifts in available housing assistance options toward cost-effective substitutes and grants, which may affect how disaster housing programs are deployed and funded.- Administrative burden on FEMA to evaluate varied forms of evidence and to implement the constructive-ownership standard consistently; potential privacy and document handling considerations given the broad evidence list.Constructive ownership: An ownership determination based on evidence rather than formal title, used to decide eligibility for housing aid.Evidence list A-N: Documents FEMA may consider to establish ownership or occupancy.Declarative statement: A signed statement under penalty of perjury describing why the person is the owner, not requiring notarization.“Damaged by a major disaster”: Broadens eligibility beyond homes that are merely uninhabitable to those simply damaged by a major disaster.PAYGO: Budget rules requiring budget neutrality over a period, used here to assess the act’s budgetary impact.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Nov 18, 2025