Central Louisiana News

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy and Alex Padilla have reintroduced the Disaster Housing Reform for American Families Act, aiming to enhance temporary housing options for victims of disasters such as storms and wildfires. The proposed legislation directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to construct disaster-resilient housing within 90 days. These structures could later transition into affordable housing managed by local public housing authorities or programs.

"Leaving disaster victims without a roof over their heads is not an option. We must change the way we respond to storms and wildfires," said Dr. Cassidy. He emphasized the importance of providing more resilient and durable housing solutions to help communities recover swiftly.

Senator Padilla highlighted the impact of wildfires in Southern California, which have destroyed thousands of homes. "Our bipartisan legislation would help disaster survivors build back faster and stronger by expanding disaster housing options, expediting assistance, and increasing long-term affordable housing opportunities," he stated.

Currently, FEMA offers temporary housing through its Individuals and Households Program, supplying mobile homes for up to 18 months. Under the new bill, affected individuals would still have access to these mobile homes but could also transition into single-family disaster-resilient structures with four units or less, resembling standard affordable housing. The construction standards would align with federal permanent housing regulations, ensuring quality in flood management and natural disaster resilience.

Once all displaced residents return home post-disaster, these properties could be repurposed by local public housing agencies or private affordable housing programs to bolster long-term affordable housing availability.

In 2023, Cassidy introduced two other bills focused on enhancing federal responses to disasters: the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act and the Disaster Learning and Life Saving Act. These initiatives seek to establish a predictable funding process for recovery efforts and create a National Disaster Safety Board dedicated to investigating major disasters' causes nationwide.