August 27, 2009


MEMORANDUM FOR:	W. Craig Fugate
		Administrator

FROM:			Dr. G. Kemble Bennett
Chairman, National Advisory Council

SUBJECT:	Recommendations on Post-Disaster Housing: NDH Concept of Operations  

Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Advisory Council (NAC) has provided recommendations to FEMA regarding post-disaster housing.  In August 2008, we provided recommendations on the National Disaster Housing Strategy; in January 2009, our recommendations related to the types of services that should be provided in conjunction with post-disaster housing services; and finally in April 2009, the NAC provided additional recommendations in support of a blanket authority agreement with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and legislation that would give HUD the authority and funding to address their disaster housing mission. We appreciate FEMA’s consideration and responses to these recommendations.  

At the July 2009 NAC meeting, the Council’s Post-Disaster Housing Subcommittee provided recommendations on important elements of the National Disaster Housing (NDH) Concept of Operations, as well as how to more fully engage Federal partners in this area.  On July 29, the full Council voted unanimously to send these recommendations to the Administrator.

Recommendations:
The NAC recommends that the following five elements be incorporated into the NDH Concept of Operations:
1. Menu of housing options researched, developed, “prototyped”, and contracted;
2. Menu of existing and proposed Federal program solutions (rent vouchers, repair program, block grants, etc);
3. Total capabilities of those programs quantified and run against various disaster scenarios; 
4. Delineate wrap-around social services for relocated populations; and
5. Provide a post-disaster housing gap analysis tool for utilization by States.

To address the problem of Federal partners’ reluctance to fully engage, the NAC recommends that FEMA’s Administrator aggressively reach out to its Federal Housing partners.




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                  National Advisory Council


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