To: The Kansas State House, The Kansas State Senate, Governor Laura Kelly, The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate, and President Donald Trump
Immediate Enactment of DHAP to hurricane victims
Dear Governor Sam Brownback,
On behalf of the vulnerable people who are still struggling after Hurricane Maria, we urge you to
formally request robust federal housing resources and programs, including the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP), as well as a
special allocation of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, national Housing Trust Fund, and HOME
Investment Partnerships Program, as soon as possible.
History has shown us that DHAP is an effective and proven solution for individuals and families with the
greatest needs – including low income seniors, people with disabilities, families with children, veterans,
people experiencing homelessness, and other at-risk populations – after devastating disasters. By
providing temporary rental assistance and wrap-around case management, DHAP helps the lowest
income families find permanent housing solutions, secure employment, and connect to public benefits
as they rebuild their lives and get back on their feet.
Today, we need DHAP more than ever. After Hurricane Maria, for example, extremely low income
families are facing significant barriers to accessing FEMA’s transitional shelter assistance. FEMA’s
transitional shelter program must be renewed every 14 days, creating great instability for those relying
on it. Because it expires permanently six months after the initial disaster declaration, transitional shelter
will create severe housing instability for many households. Moreover, hotels participating in FEMA’s
transitional shelter program often charges` daily “resort” fees, require security deposits, and require that
displaced households have credit cards – all of which are barriers for low income households that have
already depleted any savings that they may have had and that are often unbanked or underbanked.
Without DHAP, displaced, low income families often have little choice but to move into uninhabitable or
overcrowded homes, stay at shelters, or sleep in their cars or on the streets.
There are numerous accounts of individuals that were unable to access FEMA’s
transitional housing assistance that later needed emergency hospital care after returning to mold-
infested homes. Families with transitional housing vouchers have also been turned away from hotels
and are living in unsanitary “tent cities” because they had no place to go.
Before HUD can stand up its DHAP program, however, FEMA must enter into an interagency agreement
with HUD. While FEMA has the authority to do this without any further state action, the agency has
been reticent to do so without a request from your office. We urge you to request that FEMA enter into
an interagency agreement with HUD immediately to allow HUD to stand up its DHAP program to serve
eligible hurricane survivors in the state.
In Pottawatomie county, we suffer from a severe shortage of affordable rental homes. Even before the storm,
there were only 31 affordable and available homes for 100 families with
extremely low incomes in Kansas. Counties like Allen and Riley county have even fewer affordable and available
homes, with less than 27 homes for every 100 extremely low income
households. The damage caused by Hurricane Maria means that there is even less supply and more
demand.
For that reason, we urge you to request other targeted federal housing and community development
resources that can be used to rebuild our communities and ensure that the current affordable rental
housing crisis across the state is not made worse. This includes a special allocation of four specific housing programs: The National Housing Trust Fund, a new federal resource designed specifically to
address the shortage of affordable rental housing for people with the greatest needs; Low Income
Housing Tax Credits, along with broadly supported modifications to increase efficiency and expand the
program’s reach to the lowest income households; HOME Investment Partnerships program funding;
and New Markets Tax Credits.
DHAP and these targeted resources are necessary to ensure that the housing recovery is complete,
equitable, and speedy.
On behalf of the vulnerable people who are still struggling after Hurricane Maria, we urge you to
formally request robust federal housing resources and programs, including the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP), as well as a
special allocation of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, national Housing Trust Fund, and HOME
Investment Partnerships Program, as soon as possible.
History has shown us that DHAP is an effective and proven solution for individuals and families with the
greatest needs – including low income seniors, people with disabilities, families with children, veterans,
people experiencing homelessness, and other at-risk populations – after devastating disasters. By
providing temporary rental assistance and wrap-around case management, DHAP helps the lowest
income families find permanent housing solutions, secure employment, and connect to public benefits
as they rebuild their lives and get back on their feet.
Today, we need DHAP more than ever. After Hurricane Maria, for example, extremely low income
families are facing significant barriers to accessing FEMA’s transitional shelter assistance. FEMA’s
transitional shelter program must be renewed every 14 days, creating great instability for those relying
on it. Because it expires permanently six months after the initial disaster declaration, transitional shelter
will create severe housing instability for many households. Moreover, hotels participating in FEMA’s
transitional shelter program often charges` daily “resort” fees, require security deposits, and require that
displaced households have credit cards – all of which are barriers for low income households that have
already depleted any savings that they may have had and that are often unbanked or underbanked.
Without DHAP, displaced, low income families often have little choice but to move into uninhabitable or
overcrowded homes, stay at shelters, or sleep in their cars or on the streets.
There are numerous accounts of individuals that were unable to access FEMA’s
transitional housing assistance that later needed emergency hospital care after returning to mold-
infested homes. Families with transitional housing vouchers have also been turned away from hotels
and are living in unsanitary “tent cities” because they had no place to go.
Before HUD can stand up its DHAP program, however, FEMA must enter into an interagency agreement
with HUD. While FEMA has the authority to do this without any further state action, the agency has
been reticent to do so without a request from your office. We urge you to request that FEMA enter into
an interagency agreement with HUD immediately to allow HUD to stand up its DHAP program to serve
eligible hurricane survivors in the state.
In Pottawatomie county, we suffer from a severe shortage of affordable rental homes. Even before the storm,
there were only 31 affordable and available homes for 100 families with
extremely low incomes in Kansas. Counties like Allen and Riley county have even fewer affordable and available
homes, with less than 27 homes for every 100 extremely low income
households. The damage caused by Hurricane Maria means that there is even less supply and more
demand.
For that reason, we urge you to request other targeted federal housing and community development
resources that can be used to rebuild our communities and ensure that the current affordable rental
housing crisis across the state is not made worse. This includes a special allocation of four specific housing programs: The National Housing Trust Fund, a new federal resource designed specifically to
address the shortage of affordable rental housing for people with the greatest needs; Low Income
Housing Tax Credits, along with broadly supported modifications to increase efficiency and expand the
program’s reach to the lowest income households; HOME Investment Partnerships program funding;
and New Markets Tax Credits.
DHAP and these targeted resources are necessary to ensure that the housing recovery is complete,
equitable, and speedy.
Why is this important?
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria have left thousands of households displaced from their housing. Extremely low income people are facing serious barriers to accessing FEMA's transitional shelter program, which expires permanently six months after the time of the disaster.
Disasters on this scale require more long-term solutions administered by HUD officials who have experience running successful housing programs. Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) has a proven track record of providing housing solutions to low income people whose lives have been severely disrupted by these disasters. To this point, FEMA has not requested that HUD make DHAP available to the households in Puerto Rico, Texas, and Florida who are now living in cars, camping on the streets, or crowded into scarce habitable apartments.
My mother is an example, her house was affected by Hurricane Maria. Since September she house had no roof, no light and no water. She did not want to move but because of medical conditions had to leave for California to get the care needed. Like her, many people have no choice but to relocate to survive. Ensuring the safety and security during imminent risk of a mass homelessness crisis should be everyone's priority.
Disasters on this scale require more long-term solutions administered by HUD officials who have experience running successful housing programs. Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) has a proven track record of providing housing solutions to low income people whose lives have been severely disrupted by these disasters. To this point, FEMA has not requested that HUD make DHAP available to the households in Puerto Rico, Texas, and Florida who are now living in cars, camping on the streets, or crowded into scarce habitable apartments.
My mother is an example, her house was affected by Hurricane Maria. Since September she house had no roof, no light and no water. She did not want to move but because of medical conditions had to leave for California to get the care needed. Like her, many people have no choice but to relocate to survive. Ensuring the safety and security during imminent risk of a mass homelessness crisis should be everyone's priority.