Distribute checklists outlining documentation and program requirements to homeowners. Encourage homeowners to photograph any and all damage before repairs begin, in addition to writing a description of damages. Make homeowners aware of all long-term funding opportunities as they are made available, especially HUD’s Community Disaster Block Grant Recovery Program.
Grantees must ensure that they are following proper documentation and program requirements in order to ensure that they are compliant with the CDBG-DR program. Yet this can be easier said than done. Staff managing the recovery process can be overwhelmed with additional work. Follow these tips to make sure that your program is able to… Read more
Following a disaster, public information officers, and local leaders, officials and staff will need to communicate with homeowners about FEMA Individual Assistance (IA). Homeowners can apply for assistance in recovering from a disaster through the FEMA IA program. First, let homeowners know about the availability of FEMA Individual Assistance. Following a disaster declaration, homeowners… Read more
Paperwork is often the last thing people think of after a natural disaster, yet it’s one of the most important and complicated components of the disaster recovery process. All disaster-related damages and expenses must be explicitly documented to provide verification to FEMA, HUD and other funding program entities. Be aware that the amount and specificity… Read more
FEMA developed this guide to provide communities with a framework for structuring their own debris management plan or ensuring that their existing plan is consistent with FEMA’s eligibility criteria. This is part of FEMA’s efforts to encourage communities to take a proactive approach to creating and managing debris removal operations as part of their overall… Read more
This guide provides an overview of and the steps for implementing FEMA’s alternative procedures for debris removal. FEMA is currently piloting these procedures. FEMA’s Public Assistance Alternative Procedures Pilot Program Guide for Debris Removal, Version 5 [PDF]
When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the coastal city of New Orleans, Louisiana in 2005, they left trail of destruction in their wake. In total, 80 percent of the city was flooded by the waters that breached the levees intended to protect the city. The epic flooding created an equally monumental amount of debris. “After… Read more
In disaster recovery, the role that the Stafford Act plays in how FEMA is authorized to provide disaster assistance funding is critically important, but it is challenging for localities to understand all the requirements. Below is a brief overview of the Stafford Act. Additionally, tools and resources are available for helping communities meet requirements.
To maintain the integrity of the design consultation process, a best practice is to use a scope and version control system. See the document below for an example, and see the Scope/Estimate Version Control tool for a template you can download and customize.
The Disaster Impact and Unmet Needs Assessment Kit guides grantees through a process for identifying and prioritizing critical unmet needs for long-term community recovery. It is designed to be used by grantees at any time following a disaster. However, the quality of the assessment is directly tied to the quality and completeness of the impact… Read more
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