Disaster Survivors Fairness Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Disaster Survivors Fairness Act which I introduced to address housing needs for victims in the aftermath of disasters.

In June, my subcommittee held an informal roundtable with stakeholders to identify post-disaster housing needs when it comes to emergency management and what the government can do to be helpful.

It is no surprise that climate change and the related severe weather events are changing the emergency management landscape. Today's disasters cause more damage, they have greater impacts on communities, they are more expensive, and they require more time to recover.

This legislation will cut red tape by providing States more flexibility to pursue the most appropriate post-disaster housing solutions for them, for their locations, for their geography, and for their demography.

It will deliver valuable resources to those in need by expanding eligibility for hazard mitigation assistance. It will provide oversight to ensure assistance is not being prioritized for wealthy homeowners and that everyone will benefit from the program. It will save taxpayer dollars by reducing the need for long-term sheltering that can cost FEMA upwards of $300,000 per unit. We all remember the pictures of the trailers after Katrina.

So, Madam Speaker, I believe that this is commonsense legislation, it is broadly supported, and I ask my colleagues to vote for it. I thank the chair for yielding me time.

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