WHIO-TV Dayton, Ohio
‘More equitable approach;’ Lawmakers, officials push to make disaster relief more accessible
As natural disasters are becoming more destructive and more expensive, a new effort is being made to get government disaster relief to those who need it faster.
By WHIO Staff and Kirstin Garriss, CMG Washington News Bureau
WASHINGTON DC — As natural disasters are becoming more destructive and more expensive, a new effort is being made to get government disaster relief to those who need it faster.
Timing is critical after a massive storm or wildfire, according to State officials and relief organizations, but it can take months or years before communities receive the help they need to rebuild.
Jennifer Gray Thompson, the founder and CEO of After the Fire USA is a survivor of the deadly 2018 California wildfires.
“In a megafire, the power is out, the sky turns orange, the wind is fierce and the only light to navigate from is from the fire,” Thompson said.
Now she helps communities as they recover from similar traumatic events.
“Communities hit by disaster are typically unprepared and lacking resources and face subpar recovery due to delays in federal funding,” Thompson said.
Today, Thompson and other advocates expressed their frustrations with the “Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Program” on Capitol Hill.
The plan would provide federal grant money to help communities rebuild, but state officials say the process takes too long.
“In 2018 South Carolina was hit by Hurricane Florence, it took until December of 2020 before HUD recovery disaster funds were available to us,” Ran Reinhard, the Director of Operations at the South Carolina Office of Resilience said.
Funding is determined by calculating property damage estimates against home values, but state officials say the formula excludes low-income communities.
“HUD should revise and replace their minimum damage threshold with a more equitable and a more dynamic approach that factors beyond housing costs such as poverty levels, population density, social vulnerability, and the severity of the disasters’ impact,” Reinhard said.
Both Republicans and Democrats agree something has to change.
“Natural disasters aren’t partisan in their impact and our response should not be either,” Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi) said.
Earlier this fall, the white house requested more than $23 Billion from Congress for disaster relief efforts.
“Every community devastated by a disaster deserves help - help that is timely, predictable, consistent,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said.