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A cottage built on the Mississippi Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina, as part of “Katrina Cottage” project. The cottages were provided by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency as a long-term temporary housing solution for thousands of displaced families.

Planning for temporary housing assistance can be one of the most difficult aspects of preparing for a natural disaster due to the unpredictability of a storm’s impact on a locality’s housing stock. Likewise, each community has unique risks and resources when it comes to temporary housing — there is no “one-sized-fits-all” approach.

It’s important to plan for different perils and how they might impact your available housing stock. Use these tips to develop a plan that leverages your community’s housing resources and addresses the greatest risks to your locality.

Be flexible and prepared for multiple scenarios depending on the scale of disaster.

• Have a plan for both large-scale and small-scale natural disasters, and for different perils, which can all have different impacts on housing.
• Take into account factors such as flood and hurricane zones, and have a plan for how to provide temporary housing assistance for an entire community of residents in high-risk areas.

Search state-by-state for disaster temporary housing assistance planning.

• Identify best practices from state plans that meet your locality’s unique needs; use those to develop a plan for your community that is executable. Temporary housing plans should be the culmination of discussion and planning, and identifying all potential risks and resources. The state of Florida provides one of the most comprehensive state temporary housing plans available.

Evaluate your community in terms of the risks and the resources.

• Know what areas of your locality are most vulnerable to different perils and evaluate the resources you have for long-term housing and rebuilding – whether it be hotel rooms, RV parks, or a local manufacturer or hardware store that can supply repair materials and staff.
• Evaluate these resources based on their risk of being destroyed in specific perils — you might count on wind-resistant buildings during a hurricane or hotels on high land during a flood.
• Take your population into account, for example how many residents are uninsured or under-insured, renters, homeless or live in mobile homes?

Pre-Identify interim housing resources in your community.

• Reach out to potential resources to check on availability and willingness to assist after a natural disaster.
• Compile a database of available resources and contact information for each. Interim housing resources should be identified within your locality and in surrounding communities, and can include schools, community centers, churches, colleges/universities, vacant rental units, seasonal properties, manufactured homes, foreclosed properties and more.
• Have a backup plan for where to put residents if all pre-identified housing stock is unavailable.

Promote disaster preparedness among local residents, businesses and institutions.

• Send public service announcements about disaster preparedness, such as clearing away flammable plant material on property or removing tree limbs that might damage a roof.
• Encourage residents to have a plan, store key provisions and even practice simulations.

Designate a local disaster housing coordinator pre-incident.

• The disaster housing coordinator leads disaster housing planning, maintains an updated database of potential disaster housing stock with contact information, leads meetings with all disaster housing stakeholders, keeps the locality informed on the disaster housing process and takes on other relevant tasks. This person should have knowledge of the local jurisdiction, housing programs and building codes, and have a strong relationship with partner agencies. If possible, temporary housing coordination should be their only post-disaster assignment.

Consider creating a local disaster housing recovery task force.

• Representatives from NGOs, private sector stakeholders and government agencies can work together pre-incident to develop a plan and create a database of potential disaster temporary housing options for different scenarios. During disaster response, the task force can help break down communications barriers between government agencies and NGOs that can prevent information sharing regarding specific individuals.

Coordinate with federal, state, local, voluntary and other disaster response agencies pre-disaster.

• Delegate clear roles to each agency to minimize duplication of efforts and resources.
• Consider bringing local realty groups and private sector agencies with a housing mission into your temporary housing planning, such as building industry associations, manufactured housing associations, local housing authorities and property managers and rental associations. Local housing authorities, for example, can contact members for lists of vacancies.

Be familiar with state agencies.

• They can be one of the best sources of help when local resources are insufficient to meet temporary housing needs, particularly in working with department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Know who to call in your state office for assistance, build a relationship ahead of time.

Build a strong relationship with local public and non-profit agencies.

• Local non-profits, such as family support centers, faith-based organizations and housing associations, can provide on-the-spot assistance. Because they are community-owned and managed, they have fewer restrictions on how they can use donations.
• Ensure their efforts are coordinated with state and federal assistance pre-incident to maximize temporary housing opportunities. NGOs and non-profits can also provide case managers to help place residents in temporary housing that meets their specific needs.

Understand and define the role of the local government.

• Local leaders often struggle to know what their role is in housing recovery. Define your responsibilities clearly both internally and with partner organizations. The specific role of the local government will vary depending on the locality but typically focuses on activating local and national non-profit and voluntary organizations and ensuring their efforts are coordinated with state and federal assistance.
• Know which of the NGO’s are most experienced and skilled in sheltering and rebuilding damaged properties.

Don’t forget about special needs populations.

• Most localities have a special needs registry that can be used to pre-identify your special needs population. Ensure you have enough ADA compliant temporary housing options to accommodate them.
• Take note of specific housing requirements for special needs individuals and have a plan for how to accommodate them.

Have a plan for sheltering displaced pets.

• Identify multiple local animal shelters pre-incident that can provide staff and facilities immediately after a natural disaster.
• Have a backup plan for a scenario in which all animal shelter facilities are destroyed by the storm.