HUD Deploys First Round of Funding to Address Homelessness in Areas Hit by Natural Disasters

Normally, when there’s a major hurricane, people who were homeless before the storm aren’t eligible for much aid after.

“Most of the federal programs … tend to benefit homeowners, renters, business owners,” said Isabella Alcañiz, who researches climate change and inequality at the University of Maryland. “So the unhoused population, which is at incredibly high risk of feeling the brunt of natural disasters, are typically not part of the millions and even billions of dollars that we see going into helping people get back on their feet.”

As recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian begin to take shape, that’s about to change. For the first time after a major disaster, there will be federal funding available to help people who were already homeless before the hurricane.

On October 24th, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge announced the first round of funding allocations through the department’s new Rapid Unsheltered Survivor Housing (RUSH) program, a rapid response program to address homelessness by filling in federal assistance gaps in communities hit by disasters. The first round of funding will consist of $6.8 million to the State of Florida and seven of the state’s localities impacted by Hurricane Ian. To read the full article, visit: https://www.marketplace.org/2022/10/31/for-the-first-time-homeless-victims-of-a-hurricane-will-be-eligible-for-federal-aid/

For more details, you can get the HUD fact sheet at https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_22_220