ANNEX 2: Methods to House Disaster Victims Where Employment and the Resources They Need for Living Are Available Introduction Providing victims of a major disaster with housing, employment, and essential resources is a critical part of the recovery effort. This Annex will identify methods to provide housing for disaster victims that will promote self-sufficiency as well as outline programs that connect relocated disaster victims to job training and employment opportunities. Providing housing solutions, employment, essential and social services, and other critical resources for displaced disaster victims in areas far from their previous residence is a challenging task. Without a solution and plan, dependence on government, nongovernmental organizations (NGO), and private sector assistance can be prolonged, thus impeding the recovery of individuals and communities. A well-devised plan must establish proper communication between the entities offering assistance and the disaster victims. Creating a public messaging strategy is essential to facilitate the connection of information and the needed resources with disaster victims. As a catastrophic event, the 2005 Gulf Coast disasters strained housing assistance capabilities, and highlighted the complexity of disaster housing. Due to the overwhelming post-disaster housing assistance need, in many cases, an emphasis was placed on providing some form of housing to disaster victims without adequate consideration for employment and other essential resources. In some instances, displaced families were provided with housing throughout the United States and many lived for an extended period of time in temporary housing that was not within reasonable commuting distance of their pre-disaster jobs. In addition to disaster-related needs, families living in unfamiliar locations without adequate transportation options were disconnected from resources and services that had been available to them prior to the disaster. This Annex is intended to address hazards of all sizes, scopes, and scales. This experience suggests that new post-disaster housing standards needed to be refined. Returning disaster victims to their pre-disaster level of self-sufficiency requires more than just adequate temporary housing. Successful implementation of a broader housing solution includes facilitating access to employment, services, and resources. This Annex acknowledges the comprehensive needs of disaster victims that extend beyond housing. Baseline requirements must be established for reconnecting disaster victims with essential services as well as delivering new resources to address their disaster-related needs. In July of 2008, the National Advisory Council (NAC) established a Wrap-Around Service Task Force to identify additional baseline requirements for consideration when developing interim housing plans. The Task Force is in the process of finalizing its recommendations. Two methods have been identified to house disaster victims in areas where employment and other essential resources are available. The first method will facilitate access to job placement or training resources, and other essential services near the impacted area of disaster victims. The second method will, in the event of relocation, facilitate access to job placement or training resources and other essential services in or near the host community of the displaced individual. Housing approaches should include the use of existing housing stocks, and may necessitate the deployment of factory-built housing units when existing resources are exhausted or otherwise unavailable. Programs and methods included in this Annex directly provide, or help to provide, sheltering, interim, or permanent housing, employment, and/or resources needed for living for individuals or households affected by a major disaster. These programs help individuals and households find self-sustainable housing, employment, and other essential services needed to return to their pre-disaster state of living. Purpose In conjunction with sections 683(b)(1)-(3) of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (PKEMRA), this Annex is intended to present planners with both an operating framework and a sample array of methods to provide an appropriate level of assistance to disaster victims, incorporating governmental, non-governmental, and private sectors. This approach is intended to address hazards of all types and to provide disaster victims with housing in locations where employment and other essential resources are available and accessible. This Annex will present planners with key considerations for determining adequate temporary housing to support the overall recovery effort. The Annex will also explore employment options for mass relocations during disasters and also consider long-term housing options when relocating disaster victims. In addition, this Annex will explore and consider methods for additional necessary services. Assessing Requirements for Housing and Essential Services Connecting disaster victims with housing solutions while either the repair or replacement of their pre-disaster homes is in progress is one of the most demanding facets of disaster housing. Housing options vary widely depending on the nature of the event. Planners must assess a full range of housing options that are available and determine which will best meet the needs of the disaster victims, and provided housing must be decent, safe, and sanitary, and, if needed, accessible to people with disabilities. Connecting disaster victims with appropriate housing can be most efficiently executed when planners are aware of the various housing options and methods. Needs Assessment for Housing Options A thorough assessment of an affected community’s housing needs is a critical first step in disaster recovery. To assess the housing needs of an affected community, a State-Led Housing Solutions Task Force (SHSTF), and potentially a Mission Planning Team (MPT) will be invited to convene at the Joint Field Office (JFO) when the impact of a disaster makes it necessary to provide temporary or permanent housing options. These teams will utilize scoping tools and consider data from various sources including the Census Bureau, Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDA), shelters, and directly from eligible applicants. The team will compare the estimated needs of available resources. Outreach to applicants can further identify those in need of housing assistance and identify potential accessibility needs. A multi-agency Housing Portal collects information on available housing resources. If resources within the affected area are unable to fully address the housing needs of the community, alternatives must be explored. Disaster victims may be required to relocate outside their pre-disaster communities to seek available opportunities for resources and employment. However, it should be recognized that this may impede the community’s ability to rebuild. These additional solutions include rental resources beyond the affected area, immediate repair assistance to render damaged dwellings habitable while repairs are made, repair and rehabilitation of existing rental housing in the affected area, utilization of transitional shelters, and the use of temporary housing units. These options culminate into the following three scenarios: • Disaster victims move into areas able to accommodate them with all the required services. • Disaster victims move into unaffected areas that require enhancement of resources to handle the influx of disaster victims. • Disaster victims return to the affected area, and services and resources must be augmented to sufficiently accommodate their return. Where damage levels and rental resources permit, it is most often in the best interest of the disaster victim to remain in the affected community, within the normal commuting area or within a reasonable commuting distance of work and school. The advantages of using rental resources to achieve this goal are twofold; the disaster victim retains a sense of continuity in an area where they may have the most community ties and the affected community benefits by maintaining their citizenship base along with the financial benefits of keeping consumer dollars at home. FEMA’s financial assistance places the responsibility for locating housing and negotiating with potential landlords in the hands of the applicant, and FEMA offers to assist applicants in locating housing units through the Housing portal and Helpline. FEMA provides funds based on the HUD Fair Market Rent (FMR) for the locality where the applicant is currently living. The applicant is then expected to locate a housing resource and take responsibility for signing a lease. Applicants’ holding primary responsibility of housing empowers them to take responsibility for their own housing needs. Additionally, applicants will then be responsible for their own housing matters, including items such as lease, security deposit, utilities, etc. Disadvantages from this method may exist, especially for disaster victims with special needs or low to very low-income levels as these applicants may have difficulty locating resources which meet their needs. Additionally, applicants may not have the financial resources to assume rent payment after rental assistance discontinues or the available finances for the upfront rent costs, such as a security deposit. When rental resources are unavailable in the affected area, the SHSTF will determine if temporary housing units (e.g., modular homes, manufactured homes, etc.) will be used, and, subsequent, if these units will be clustered and which types of units and sites will be used. However, all other commercial and private housing options must be exhausted before a factory- built housing solution is considered. If housing needs are unable to be addressed with commercial and private sites, factory-built housing may be placed in community site configurations that provide emergency sheltering to either renters or homeowners. Manufactured homes are generally used to satisfy temporary housing needs and are typically placed on commercial pads or in community sites developed expressly for this purpose. A factory-built housing mission may include placing units on private sites to enable homeowners to remain on their properties while they repair or rebuild their permanent residences. Factory-built housing units can also be placed in existing commercial temporary housing sites. However, some areas may have limited resources available outside of the site, potentially reducing availability by destroying vital infrastructure. Determining the Required Essential and Social Services Critical services represent the basic requisite resources that should be available and accessible in an area when considering temporary and permanent housing options. These critical services include power, water, sewer and wastewater treatment, communications, emergency medical care, fire protection/emergency services, and access to food. In addition to the critical services outlined above, wrap-around services, infrastructure and additional essential services to address disaster-related needs must be considered. Planners and disaster recovery providers increasingly acknowledge that housing disaster victims in areas located near employment opportunities and social services can assist individuals and households in returning to self-sustainability. Determining the types of social services that assist disaster victims in their recovery must consider both individual and community needs. Identifying services available prior to the disaster can provide insight into post-disaster needs. Accessibility to common community services, such as childcare, healthcare, job training, and job placement facilitates their return to normal life. The following approaches may be used to ensure that disaster victims in temporary and potentially permanent housing have access to these resources: • Individuals and households may be housed in established communities where resources are available. • Individuals and households can be housed in available rental resources or temporary housing units in the affected area during the rebuilding process. • Following a catastrophic event, a “Host State” concept may be utilized as appropriate, whereby entire communities are relocated and existing resources are augmented to accommodate the incoming population. If vital infrastructure is intact or able to be rapidly restored, disaster victims may also be housed in available rental resources or in temporary housing units placed in the affected area during the rebuilding process. In particular, the restoration of utility infrastructure must be coordinated and prioritized to support the timely, facilitated return of displaced households. A lack of operating utility infrastructure may hamper or impede the recovery process and potentially cause health and safety issues. This may also impede the ability of affected residents to stay in their homes or on their properties. In some cases, critical and community services may not have returned. In this scenario, it is essential that services be reestablished, and disaster victims connected to these services, as soon as possible. The need for additional services may be magnified if an incident’s recovery requires the development of community sites. Annex 4 will further describe resource requirements, and site placement of community sites. Planners should work closely with service providers to create a plan for reestablishing services that may have been disrupted by the disaster. Connecting Individuals to Resources Disaster victims can be connected with the most appropriate and effective housing options once the needs of communities and individuals are assessed in conjunction with availability of resources. When individuals and households relocate to established communities where resources are available, the critical component is connecting them to existing resources, and addressing other needs that may have been a direct result of the disaster. This can be accomplished by working with disaster victims that have been relocated, such as in the case management process. Disaster Case Management Disaster case management begins immediately after the disaster and continues through the recovery phase. Disaster case management is the process of organizing and providing a timely coordinated approach to assess disaster-related needs as well as existing healthcare, mental health and human services needs that may adversely impact an individual’s recovery if not addressed. Disaster case management facilitates the delivery of appropriate resources and services, works with a client to implement a recovery plan and advocates for the client’s needs to assist him or her in returning to a pre-disaster status while respecting human dignity. If necessary, disaster case management helps transition the client with pre-existing needs to existing case management providers after disaster related needs are addressed. This is facilitated through the provision of a single point of contact for disaster assistance applicants who need a wide variety of services that may be provided by many different organizations. The purpose of disaster case management is to rapidly return individuals and families who have survived a disaster to a state of self-sufficiency. This is accomplished by ensuring that each individual has access to a case manager who will take information about the individual’s situation and then serve as his or her advocate and help him or her organize and access the disaster related resources, human services, healthcare and mental health care that will help him or her achieve pre-disaster levels of functioning and equilibrium. The service is particularly critical in situations where large-scale deaths, injuries or personal property damage have occurred. To accomplish this, case managers meet with individuals and households and complete an assessment. The purpose of the assessment is to identify what the impact of the disaster event was on individuals and households, what assistance has been received, and what they perceive as their immediate and ongoing disaster related needs. To ensure a client’s return to self- sufficiency, it is essential to address unmet disaster-cased needs as well as healthcare, mental health, and human services needs that may impede recovery if not addressed. The assessment process provides the case manager with the opportunity to help the individuals and households pinpoint specific goals for their recovery and begin to organize the steps needed to attain each goal. This process results in a disaster recovery plan that is specific to an individual or household’s needs. The recovery plan is a written document that becomes the road map for recovery. Each goal is listed, the steps to meet the goal are detailed, and the responsibilities and timeframes for accomplishing the steps are assigned. The goals are linked with the client’s disaster-cased needs and any healthcare, mental health, and human services needs that may impede recovery. Throughout the case management process, the disaster case manager advocates for resources necessary to accomplish the goals of clients. This advocacy is critical to a client’s return to self- sufficiency. Disaster case managers have a responsibility to be aware of resources in the community. Resources are identified and categorized through various means. Common practices for resource management include using case management software databases for input of information and working with local information and referral providers. Networking with other case managers, case management supervisors, and also Federal, State, and local agency representatives will provide additional resource information. Coordinated Assistance Network Collecting and utilizing available data can facilitate a more efficient way to connect disaster victims with essential resources. The Coordinated Assistance Network (CAN) is a client information storage platform that stores, tracks, coordinates and facilitates easy access to clients’ information among partner agencies via the Internet. If coordination of services and case management assistance is required, CAN allows participating agencies full access to clients’ disaster information and tracks their recovery efforts. Additionally, CAN provides a separate function of resource tracking and works closely with the 211 system in the areas where 211 is active. During various pilot programs, CAN played a vital role in linking clients to services available from agencies in the community that have the capacity to provide them. More importantly, CAN prevents the duplication of benefits and limits paper trails while maintaining confidentiality and integrity of clients’ information. CAN is designed with the flexibility to meet the specific needs of its users in a disaster, obtaining client information from the FEMA’s National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS) (while still preserving the applicant’s confidential information under the Privacy Act), the American Red Cross Client Assistance System (CAS), and from participating agencies through partnership agreements and in compliance with Privacy Act regulations. CAN’s data input fields can be modified to capture specific information from clients living in FEMA temporary housing units so that clients can be transferred to agencies with services matching their needs. CAN will continue to play an important role in the disaster case management field. Direct Housing Recertification Coordination with FEMA Direct Housing recertification can also help expedite household recovery and achievement of permanent housing for disaster victims. Efficient delivery of services to disaster victims begins with efficient planning and maximization of resources. Under FEMA policy, the recertification field staff works directly with applicants housed in FEMA units as they progress toward implementing their permanent housing plan. This frequent contact contributes to a greater understanding of the household’s needs and current situation, and provides opportunities to connect applicants with essential services based on their unique needs. Case management should work alongside the certification coordinators to provide assessment of and recommendations for clients. Through coordination with the State case management services, recertification caseworkers may be able to provide more effective guidance for the applicant’s household recovery and achievement of permanent housing. Goodwill Industries International Goodwill Industries International (GII) is one of the world's largest nonprofit networks of education, training, and career service providers for people with disadvantages and disabilities. GII enhances the dignity and quality of life of individuals, families, and communities by eliminating barriers to opportunity and helping people in need reach their fullest potential through the power of work. To directly address the challenging conditions that prevent individuals from succeeding in the workplace and hold families back from achieving financial stability, GII has deployed ten family strengthening strategies that equip organizations, individuals, and households to succeed. These strategies describe the multiple approaches Goodwill chooses to deploy to support families in their communities based on their mission, the goals of the organization, the needs of the people served, and the strengths and challenges of the local community. The strategies include support for low-wage employees; cultivation of community partnerships to gain access to valuable support services; youth and adult education, training, and career support; and financial education and asset building activities. Goodwill may provide wrap-around services and connections to community resources for job seekers so that they can stabilize their families as they identify employment opportunities. GII strives to ensure that personal and family needs or other difficulties are not providing barriers to employment. Professionals at local Goodwills are available to help connect disaster victims with childcare, transportation, counseling, life skills programs for people with disabilities, and numerous other services. Additionally, if a local Goodwill does not provide a service, they are able to connect job seekers with other community organizations that do. Connecting Disaster Victims with Employment Providing housing for residents with access to employment opportunities is a challenge that requires thought and planning. In order to take advantage of these opportunities, however, many residents may require the aid of various support programs. Such supports can signify the difference between failure and becoming self-sufficient. Barriers to Employment and Facilitation of Access Challenges and obstacles present in a post-disaster environment can prevent disaster victims from seeking employment in a traditional manner. Particularly, disaster victims are often unable to access services in a timely fashion as a result of their own experience in the disaster, and not at the fault of the service providing agency. Loss or destruction of individual identification or other documentation, such as verification of prior employment, can occur when other property is damaged or destroyed. This may prevent disaster victims from accessing employment opportunities and other post-disaster resources. Numerous jobs at the lower end of the employment spectrum, in terms of wages and skill, may be lost as one of the impacts of the disaster. Unlike affected individuals at the upper end of the employment spectrum, who may have more flexibility in employment choices and opportunities, these individuals may lose both housing and employment in a single event and be forced to compete for an insufficient number of jobs. This situation will amplify the need for support services. If a disaster victim is provided with temporary housing away from their home during the impact period, they may not be made aware of employment opportunities near their previous residence. Additionally, if an individual is required to relocate and transportation limitations exist which restrict their ability to do so, their ability to find employment in the area to which they are relocating will be hindered. Improved communication tools and tactics can diminish the potential impact of these situations. Barriers to employment may also arise from a disaster victim’s pre-disaster circumstances. For example, the lack of a strong employment record prior to disaster or the presence of a criminal record may deter potential employers. Individual Facilitation Individuals and families must take initial and primary responsibility for their recovery. Individuals who have lost their jobs are responsible for determining options that could meet their needs as well as seeking out resources, such as job listings, job placement organizations, and career counseling services, to help facilitate the employment process. The subsequent sections, detailing programs offered by the government and nongovernmental organizations to assist disaster victims with findings employment, are most effective when individuals make the first effort to contact them in search of employment. Although job counseling, workshops, vocational training, job placement services, and other programs are offered by outside organizations, it is the responsibility of the individual to seek out and fully engage themselves in these opportunities. Individuals must recognize that their pre-disaster jobs may not be a feasible option to return to in the future and should begin assessing their skills and goals in conjunction with job availability. Online options, such as www.USAJobs.com for government careers, www.craigslist.org, www.hotjobs.yahoo.com, www.indeed.com, www.Careerbuilder.com, www.monster.com, and others, can provide a good starting point for individuals seeking employment. Government Sector Programs With vast resources available and the position as the prime responder in the wake of a disaster, the federal government has both the capability and capacity to facilitate employment for disaster victims. Natural aptitudes or life experiences can sometimes point the way to marketable interests and skills with outside agencies providing the necessary screening, formal training, supervised experience, and credentials. • Department of Labor. The Department of Labor (DOL) administers several programs to specifically assist displaced workers under the Workforce Development Act of 1998 (WIA). The WIA authorizes the DOL to provide annual funding to States for the operation of workforce development programs and the provision of services to all categories of dislocated workers, regardless of the reason for their dislocation. WIA services are available through a network of over 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers nationwide, and workers have access to a broad range of services available under the WIA umbrella, including those provided by partner programs in the One-Stop Career Centers. Locations of One-Stop Centers can be found at http://www.servicelocator.org. Under the authorizing legislation of the WIA, the DOL administers several programs specifically to assist disaster victims with employment, including the Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA), National Emergency Grant Program, and the WIA Dislocated Worker Program. DUA provides financial assistance to individuals whose employment or self- employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of a major disaster declared by the President of the United States. Before an individual can be determined eligible for DUA, it must be established that the individual is not eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits under any State or Federal law. The program is administered by States as agents of the Federal Government. The National Emergency Grant disaster project creates temporary employment to assist with clean-up and restoration activities as well as humanitarian assistance to communities that have been affected by a disaster. Funds are used to provide disaster relief employment on projects that provide food, clothing, shelter, and other humanitarian assistance for disaster victims, and projects regarding demolition, cleaning, repair, renovation, and reconstruction of damaged and destroyed structures, facilities, and lands located within the disaster area. Individuals are eligible to be offered disaster relief employment if the individual is a dislocated worker, is a long-term unemployed individual, or is temporarily or permanently laid off as a consequence of the disaster. The initial grant provides for a clean-up period to last no more than six months from the date of grant award unless there is a subsequent modification (e.g., fully documented plan or other request) that justifies a longer clean-up period. These applications require verification that FEMA has declared the disaster area to be eligible for public assistance. The WIA Dislocated Worker Program provides a variety of services, including access to resource rooms equipped with job banks, skills assessment tools, interest, aptitude and abilities inventories, labor market information, resume writing software and reviews of transferable skills. The program also coordinates workshops on job opportunities and interviews as well as stress and financial management. Displaced workers are given access to career counselors and case management, supportive services such as child care and transportation, and language and skills training (short-term, incumbent worker training, etc.) through a network of certified training providers. For those workers needing to upgrade their skills, training for high-growth and high-demand occupations is available through Individual Training Accounts, which allow dislocated workers to make informed choices as to which eligible training provider will provide the adequate training needed for a speedy return to work. Both State workforce agencies as well as DOL regional offices should be consulted as soon as possible to determine the optimal funding mix for the circumstances of any given dislocation. DOL’s Office of National Response can be reached at (202) 693-2757 as a primary point of contact in a disaster situation. Regional office contacts can also be found at http://www.doleta.gov/regions/regoffices/. Additionally, DOL regional offices have existing arrangements with FEMA and often can be accessed through FEMA at the regional level. Additionally, DOL ancillary services may be available for post-disaster relief. However, these services often require additional lead time to activate. For example, the Disability Navigator Program (DPN) deploys “navigators” to conduct outreach to the disabled community and organizations that serve that community. The navigators provide expertise and information on work incentives and employment support programs, assistance on navigating through the variety of programs and services that impact their employment (e.g., transportation, housing, health care, etc.), and serve as a resource to other One-Stop Center staff. However these services take time to deploy, so contacting DOL as quickly as possible in a disaster scenario will help ensure availability of services in a timelier manner. • Department of Commerce. The Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Association (EDA) creates jobs in areas of distress and is frequently involved in the economic development aspects of long term disaster recovery. EDA's grant programs are available to State and local governments, NGOs, (including faith-based and community organizations) and tribes; direct or financial assistance to individuals is not possible. EDA provides public works infrastructure, local technical assistance, and regional and local economic development planning programs to assist in long term disaster recovery. EDA does not directly fund housing efforts, however EDA does fund public infrastructure (water, sewer, roads, bridges, building rehabs for manufacturing and research, etc.) as a means of facilitating private investment and ultimately job creation. EDA frequently partners with other Federal agencies to encourage cooperation between local partners and the business sector to address regional issues of distress and economic development. • Department of Health and Human Services. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has provided employment assistance for disaster victims as part of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The TANF program is designed to temporarily provide help while a family moves to self-sufficiency. To achieve this, TANF grants both federal funds and wide flexibility to States, territories and tribes for the development and implementation of their own welfare programs, thus providing assistance and work opportunities to needy families. This assistance is time-limited and promotes work, responsibility and self-sufficiency. TANF grants are administered by State, territorial and tribal agencies, and citizens can apply for TANF at the respective agency administering the program in their community. The federal government does not provide TANF assistance directly to individuals or families. • Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has a number of programs and measures which operate in conjunction with local communities to provide capacity for disaster response and recovery, both in the area of the disaster as well as nationwide. These programs and measures are typically supported by HUD and serve to support community needs. In the event of a disaster, HUD programs may identify opportunities to expedite response through the issuance of waivers to specific program requirements for affected communities. HUD has worked in conjunction with housing authorities, particularly the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) during and after the 2005 hurricane season, to help develop an employment program for residents and assist the housing authority in connecting with social services programs in the wake of the disaster. In completing these objectives, the HUD works with social service providers and employers in affected areas and assists local staff to collect baseline data and develop long-term processes for resident outreach. • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In the wake of a disaster, FEMA often interviews and hires local citizens for short-term disaster assignments and also encourages individual States to hire local disaster victims to staff Crisis Counseling and other grant programs that they administer. For disaster victims looking to connect with others to facilitate employment, there are often opportunities to share and exchange employment and training information at FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers. Nongovernmental Organizations • Goodwill Industries International. To directly address the employment needs of disaster victims, GII can provide job seekers with resources that help them conduct job searches, write resumes and practice their interviewing skills. Local Goodwill career professionals regularly contact local employers to learn about jobs that are available, and then they connect job seekers with these employment opportunities. Goodwill may choose to host or co- sponsor local and regional job fairs at disaster or evacuation sites. Local Goodwills can also potentially place disaster victims who have lost employment in temporary jobs or in jobs at Goodwill, providing employment until a permanent job can be acquired. Through this effort, many job seekers can find work in Goodwill retail stores, or at one of their many business or government contract work sites. After placing a disaster victim in a job, the local Goodwill may follow up on a regular basis to find out if they are continuing to do well on the job, or if they need more training, on-site job coaching or additional services. To give newly hired workers a good foundation for career success or help those who are employed learn how to build on their existing skills and develop their careers, local Goodwills may offer reading, math, computer and language skills, high school equivalency preparation, and other classes. Some Goodwills also offer financial education and asset development services that help low-wage earners avoid money traps and build savings for their future as well as classes in family life and personal health. For additional information or to connect to a local Goodwill Industries organization, please visit Goodwill’s Web site: http://www.goodwill.org. • Faith-Based and Community Organizations. Faith-based and community organizations serve a vital role at the local, State, tribal and national levels by performing essential service missions in times of need. They provide sheltering, emergency feeding, disaster case management and coordination of resources during long-term recovery. Faith-based and community organizations may also provide leadership and coordination of service delivery for various types and sizes of disasters, both declared and non-declared, for a wide range of populations including persons with special needs. FEMA's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives provides outreach to faith-based and community organizations in the Department of Homeland Security's social and community service programs, fostering participation. • Voluntary Agencies. Through education, training and support services, Volunteers of America (VOA) provides employment and training programs that help prepare individuals for better-paying positions to enable them to lead safe and secure lives. VOA serves as an engaged partner in helping disaster victims build job skills and launch new businesses. Programs include employment counseling, job placement, adult education and literacy, computer training, and employment/work experience programs. Employment specialists connect participants with employment opportunities as well as community resources to meet the specific needs of the individual. Specialists provide access to job search information, application and interview techniques and resume preparation. Transitional services such as career planning, retraining and job search assistance are available to individuals who have been laid off or downsized. Private Sector Coordination with companies on development of contingency plans is essential. Companies that want to be involved in potential relief and recovery efforts are urged to contact the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Business Civic Leadership Center National Disaster Help Desk for Business (1-888-MY-BIZ-HELP). Participating businesses will be asked to help afflicted companies with re-openings, infrastructure rebuilding, and job training. Connecting Disaster Victims with Housing Disaster victims should obtain housing where employment and other resources needed for living are available. Most disaster victims will be able to obtain housing and employment at or near their pre-disaster residence. However, in some cases, disaster-related destruction of an entire community may require disaster victims to obtain housing outside of their pre-disaster community. In other cases, better employment opportunities or other resources elsewhere may prompt the disaster victim to relocate. Housing in the Pre-Disaster Community Many of those who lose employment, housing, and other essential resources as a result of a major disaster will still be able to remain in their pre-disaster community. If the basic infrastructure of a community is still intact and a disaster victim is able to locate employment and needed resources through the methods and programs outlined in the previous two sections, the programs described in Annexes 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 can be used to assist the disaster victim with obtaining housing in their pre-disaster community. This may either entail repairs or reconstruction of the pre-disaster residence or acquisition of a new residence in or near the affected area. However, it should be noted that construction resources in certain areas may be overwhelmed. The construction industry, including materials, labor and equipment, will be impacted by the disaster. An acceptable rate of reconstruction may not be achieved without augmentation of local construction capabilities from outside the disaster area. Housing Outside of the Pre-Disaster Community In certain cases, especially in the event of a major disaster, disaster victims may not be able to obtain employment or housing in their pre-disaster communities. Relocation to obtain housing, employment, and essential services for those affected by catastrophic disasters, effectively destroying infrastructure in a community and rendering it uninhabitable, is discussed in the ‘Catastrophic Events’ section below. In other cases, individuals may lose employment and/or housing as the result of a disaster and decide that relocation from the pre-disaster area is the best option to meet their needs. For example, an individual may work for a company that chooses not to reopen in the wake of a disaster. Although the disaster victim may be able to find comparable employment in the affected area, they may also choose to relocate. In this case, traditional methods to seek out housing can be used, although some assistance may be available in term of grants or loans to assist individuals in relocating and obtaining housing. Consult Annex 1 for a description of these programs. • Department of Housing and Urban Development. Existing HUD programs can be applied directly to address the challenges of the post disaster environment or serve as a programmatic “point of departure” for a focused effort targeting disaster victims. With HUD funds, PHAs provide relocation assistance directly to individuals living in HUD-sponsored PHA housing; please see the HUD sections in NDHS Annexes 1 and 3 for full descriptions of these programs. Additionally, HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs provide funding to States, and this funding is often bolstered for disaster regions through Congressional supplemental appropriations. States may seek permission to use existing funding for relocation payments to people and businesses displaced by the disaster as well. More information can be found in NDHS Annexes 1 and 3. Catastrophic Events Communities devastated or severely affected by a catastrophic incident may take years to rebuild and revitalize. Such cases can overwhelm the resources of the State or region and require the complete reconstruction of critical infrastructure and key resources, redevelopment of homes and long-term housing solutions, and the restoration of economic growth and vitality. Generally, displaced residents prefer to remain near their damaged dwellings, particularly if repairs are in progress. However, infrastructure damage, including roads, utilities and other public services, may delay the ability to establish interim housing in the immediate areas affected by the disaster. Relocation of displaced victims to interim housing in neighboring municipalities and States may need to be arranged if the local housing stock and/or infrastructure will be insufficient for an extended period of time. As defined by the National Response Framework (NRF), a catastrophic incident is any natural or manmade incident that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, and/or government functions. A catastrophic incident could result in sustained national impacts over an extended period of time. This type of event almost immediately exceeds resources normally available to State, local, tribal, and private-sector authorities in the impacted area. An event of this nature could also significantly interrupt governmental operations and emergency services to such an extent that national security could be threatened. A catastrophic event could cause destruction of tens or hundreds of thousands of homes. Due to the acute lack of temporary housing resources, stays in mass shelters, relocations to distant cities, and other extreme forms of dislocation are expected to last many months. This can cause long-term disruption of employment and schooling, and other socioeconomic issues. Permanent resettlement into a neighborhood devastated by a catastrophic disaster can take years or may not occur at all. In particular, a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) event may render the affected area uninhabitable for an indeterminate amount of time. Planning techniques must be adaptable and capable of effectively guiding response to disasters of any type or magnitude, including catastrophic events. In addition to the needs of the disaster victims, the influx of relief workers, insurance adjusters, construction workers, and volunteers into an affected community creates additional and potentially overwhelming demands for housing and basic human services. To ensure timely response and recovery efforts, Federal, State, tribal, and local coordination is required to plan and implement alternate, temporary measures to meet these essential needs. Public Messaging Clear, concise, accessible, and accurate public messaging is crucial to alleviate concerns. Accurate and consistent information must be provided to the American public to help them prepare for, prevent, respond to and recover from disasters. Ensuring that communications are effective with all segments of the population, including persons with limited English proficiency and persons with disabilities who may need language assistance services or auxiliary aids and services, is critical. Conversely, public messaging gaps or unclear messages can prevent disaster victims from being matched with available resources. The FEMA External Affairs Division accomplishes post-disaster public messaging through establishing and maintaining effective, on-going relationships with the media to promote the agency’s programs, goals and core values. This division also services internal and external customers by developing communication strategies that support the FEMA’s mission and strives to provide disaster victims with timely and accurate information, and managing communications to demonstrate an effective federal response to disasters. The authority to support Federal domestic incident management during an incident of national significance or incidents requiring a coordinated Federal response is provided in the National Response Framework’s Emergency Support Function 15 (ESF 15), External Affairs. ESF 15 integrates Public Affairs, Congressional Affairs, State, territorial, Local and Tribal Affairs Coordination, Community Relations, International Affairs, and the Private Sector under the coordinating auspices of external affairs. In the wake of a major disaster, these components of the FEMA External Affairs office work together to provide a coordinated communications response. Host State Protocol If a disaster causes devastation and destruction to pre-existing housing stock so severe that a sizable portion of disaster victims will not be able to return to their home area for an extended period of time, FEMA may implement their Host-State Temporary Housing protocol. This refers to an evacuee-support protocol whereby FEMA, through a contract agent and not exceeding 18 months, will coordinate Individuals and Households Programs (IHP) rental assistance payments at FMR directly to the temporary housing landlords for eligible disaster victims. While this protocol is designed for use in situations where States are hosting large numbers of disaster victims who will not be able to return to their homes, home communities, or home State(s) for an extended period of time, it may also be employed in the affected home State. This protocol will only be implemented under the authority of Stafford Act section 408, Federal Assistance to Individuals and Households; States may not place disaster victims in apartments or other temporary housing on a reimbursable basis. Host State Guidelines The devastating 2005 hurricane season, when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita affected more than a million households in the Gulf Coast States and inflicted extensive damage on infrastructure, communities, and human service systems, indicated the need for greater focus on resources (both availability and management), support structures, and provision of assistance to disaster victims during catastrophic responses and mass evacuations. To provide these resources, guidelines, and best practices for host States conducting short- or long-term evacuee support, FEMA developed the Host State Evacuee Support Planning Guide. The Host State Evacuee Support Planning Guide describes assistance (both from Federal organizations and nongovernmental entities) available, current planning tools, templates, information documents, lessons learned, and best practices through the following four sections: • Determining Host State Capacity and Capability • Evacuee Support Planning for Short-Term, Intermediate, and Long-Term • Federal and National Evacuee Support • Process Diagrams, Glossary, Planning Support Links, and Support Web Sites Additionally, links to various documents and organizational Web sites are provided throughout the document. These resources connect readers to additional information and templates on specific topics and corresponding information. Although it uses “host State” language, the Guide is applicable to any jurisdiction hosting evacuees from outside their area, including those within an impact State. The Guide is designed to address the support needs of the entire evacuee population and the planning needed by host States to support evacuees. It is intended as general guidance and is not inclusive of all possible needs, options, or situations. The information found in the Host State Evacuee Support Planning Guide should be adapted according to the specific situation or event of each potential or actual disaster. Relocation Assistance If the evacuated area is capable of mass re-habitation, at the request of the State, FEMA may coordinate and fund a return mass transportation to the point of origin through a mission assignment. This is intended to help with moving and transportation costs for individuals and households who wanted to return to an area affected by a major disaster and/or move into more permanent housing. If the evacuated area is not capable of mass re-habitation (i.e., large numbers of evacuees cannot return due to widespread damage and destruction of residences), eligible evacuees are authorized, with host-State consent, to use Other Needs Assistance (ONA) funding to purchase return transportation, once they are able to do so. If disaster victims will be unable to return for an extended period of time, such as following a CBRNE event, connections should be made to place individuals and households into temporary housing options that have the potential to become permanent. In these situations, it is increasingly important to connect them to services that will facilitate securing employment, and settlement into the new community. Three key options provide for temporary housing to be available in areas with employment opportunities and other resources. These options can, if necessary, either assist in the transition of relocated disaster victims into permanent housing or provide disaster victims with extended temporary housing near their pre-disaster residences until infrastructure can be reestablished. However, for all options, disaster victims must develop and continually work towards a realistic plan that, within a reasonable timeframe, will put them back into permanent housing that is similar to their pre-disaster housing situation. These are based on current FEMA disaster temporary housing practices: • Option A: Leveraging Existing Building Structures in Impacted or Host Communities. This option leverages existing building structures and relates directly to the current FEMA Rental Repairs Pilot Program for leveraging existing residential or non-residential buildings for temporary housing in impacted or host communities. o Rental Repairs. Rental repairs provide a great opportunity to minimize cost and reduce recovery time when the temporary housing needs are expected to be extensive and where local, affordable and accessible rental resources are insufficient to meet the permanent housing need. Repairing existing residential or commercial buildings, such as an old manufacturing loft building, can increase housing availability in many urban areas. The key is to ensure work is done to bring these structures up to code and livable. o Option B: Unit Based. Another approach is unit-based and encompasses the type of temporary housing unit FEMA may purchase and deploy. This option requires the deployment of units that can lend themselves to becoming either in whole or in part of a permanent home. The Joint Housing Solutions Group and the AHPP in FEMA have been exploring alternative housing options with some that may lend themselves to permanent housing. An advantage of this unit-based approach is that it can be used also on FEMA Private Site situation, where the home lots are available but where the homeowners want to rebuild in place but lack the financial resources to rebuild within the 18 months required. Option C: Site Based. Community sites may be used to provide temporary housing for disaster victims, and the location, design, infrastructure of the site selected and utilized will determine the success of this option. Generally, community site housing is considered only as a last resort. The feasibility of all three options depends heavily on the willingness of the impacted or host communities to accept them becoming “permanent” -- thus FEMA assistance ending after 18 months and the financial responsibility falling upon the community. An example of this can be found in the post-Katrina and post-Rita Gulf Coast, where a substantial number of households in the impacted communities lost use of their primary homes. These disaster victims had no other housing resources of their own and had no feasible options in spite of FEMA’s financial and other assistance to relocate. While their housing plans were to rebuild in or near their original home lots and communities, due to financial constraints and other challenges beyond their controls and capacities, disaster victims would not be able to complete reconstruction of their homes within 18 months, and/or they would have to resettle into a FEMA community site or other forms of direct housing assistance for well beyond 18 months. In summary, “temp-to-perm” options may be warranted only when there are substantial post- disaster permanent housing needs that are unmet via existing resources and programs and when temporary housing options would need to be used for a long period of time, incurring high financial and administrative costs but contributing little to the long-term housing needs. Action Items Local and State governments, particularly in areas at high risk for disasters, such as the Gulf Coast, should determine if host community and/or host State agreements are appropriate. If appropriate, these agreements should be developed with responsibilities clearly defined. Long Term Recovery Committees should be formed as soon as possible after a disaster event to ensure that planners are considering the potential long-term implications in temporary housing options, including the possible need to transition temporary housing to permanent housing. Lessons Learned and Best Practices Examining the past experiences, successes, and failures of existing housing programs will aid in preparing for future disasters. Identifying the critical challenges that have undermined and prevented a more efficient and effective response in the past will allow disaster planners and others to be better prepared for future situations. Additionally, recognizing what past solutions and actions were particularly effective can be incorporated as best practices and included in future disaster housing plans. Innovative Approaches to Providing Housing Housing programs should be strategically designed to be connected with wrap-around services. During the planning process for identifying and selecting housing solutions, it is essential that access to infrastructure, essential services, and services to address disaster- related needs of affected residents living in temporary housing sites are considered. This is especially critical in the selection of community site locations. Whenever possible, sites should be selected that are within close proximity to the resources described in this Annex, as well as Annex 4. Lessons Learned behind the HOPE VI Program A number of best practices have been identified from the HUD HOPE VI program, and many can serve as touchstones for any disaster housing program. These lessons, therefore, should be helpful to anyone engaged in community-building efforts in any low-income, distressed community. • When used effectively, local employment can be both a training ground for workers and an asset to the community. Communities can become effective training grounds and launching pads for underprivileged or marginalized citizens who want to become self- sufficient and a catalyst for the revitalization of the larger neighborhood. Additionally, the flow of public revitalization dollars into a neighborhood can generate opportunities for on-the-job training for residents. These jobs, although temporary, may be structured to provide entry to labor union jobs or other private-sector employment. Revitalization itself can be the source of jobs and even the beginning of a profitable career. Assessing the services needed by area residents and businesses is a good way to generate ideas for resident-owned enterprises. Community needs such as childcare or an affordable outlet for food or essential supplies can be a source of jobs for residents, perhaps even leading to full-time positions in the private sector. Work that might once have been contracted out by the housing authority can provide jobs and experience for new employee- owned companies, helping them to establish a record of accomplishment of contract fulfillment and competent performance. • A comprehensive overall strategy is needed. Having a strategy is essential. This includes making a detailed inventory of community assets and resources, potential partners, long-and short-term goals, and the kinds of resident activities that should be supported in order to achieve those goals. There may be pressure for expedient, but not necessarily smart, solutions. Such pressure must be recognized and resisted, and will likely require leadership engagements. • If disaster victims are relocated to an area, local residents should be involved in plans for incorporating them into the community. Residents should be actively involved from the start in identifying the needs and priorities of the community and shaping and implementing the strategies for addressing them. Housing providers must identify appropriate community partners and identify those responsible for liaising and coordinating those partnerships. Residents should help to design and implement these programs. Ideally, the residents should be an active participant from the community-building programs that will affect their lives. Residents should be involved in the planning for rehabilitation of units, demolition, and construction matters; all of which generate employment and the need for ancillary services. Without resident involvement, projects risk facing distrust and public rejection. Additionally, housing providers must create the context to support such resident involvement or it will be extremely difficult for it to take place. • Resident advocates need to be involved in the entire process of assimilating disaster victims into their communities. Resident advocates can provide a valuable link between disaster victims and prospective contractor providing employment, asking contractors such questions as: o How many workers will you need to perform each task? o Where will you get those workers? o What kind of training will residents need to take advantage of these opportunities, and how and where can this be arranged? o What services or tasks will be sub-contracted? o What companies or unions do you usually work with? o How many residents will you commit to hiring as workers or trainees? o Where can residents acquire the skills they’ll need? Disaster victims incorporated into a community can also benefit from resident advocates with technical advising abilities, such as attorneys representing their interests. • Progress and development may occur at a slower pace than first anticipated. Progress does not always proceed in a straight line but often advances in fragments where even disappointing setbacks and failures can teach valuable lessons. Building the capacity of people and institutions to take on new responsibilities is never a simple task. Though the shared vision must be kept central, new strategies and stakeholders may be introduced as it develops. • The housing provider and its partners must be prepared to stay the course. It is important to set short-term, more easily achievable goals as well as long-term goals. It is also important to celebrate even modest accomplishments (for example, through newsletters, bulletin boards, graduation ceremonies, awarding simple plaques, or other community events). • Seeking out and forging partnerships with experienced nonprofit and for-profit institutions in the larger community is crucial. Partnership with entities such as police, social service agencies, civic groups, area businesses or business associations, local school systems, and community colleges is key to delivering the supportive services—and developing the opportunities—residents need to become self-sufficient. Major employers should be introduced to the labor pool of HOPE VI-like housing program residents. HOPE VI supportive services and similar programs help prepare residents for employment and assist them in overcoming barriers to work, such as the need for childcare services. • Initiatives should be localized when possible and efforts should be focused on an area of manageable size. Programs and plans are most effective in communities whose residents and other stake-holders can know each other, feel some measure of control over their environment, and have input into the decisions that affect their lives. • Social networks that tie residents to actual job opportunities and to stake-holders are critical parts of a job-linkage strategy. In general, low-skilled workers benefit more from more formal networks. In the most effective employment programs, housing providers identify prospective employers and tie the training process to job commitments. • Employment-readiness training is critical for persons seeking employment. To be truly employable, individuals need not only be able to demonstrate competency in performing some type of work, but they need to have appropriate attitudes and work-place habits. Through mutual support groups or ongoing mentoring programs, follow-up counseling or support is often helpful. Access to computer technology can also provide residents with marketable skills and access to job-related information, job training programs, GED or literacy programs, and other resources. Access to a personal computer can become a powerful incentive for residents to participate in an educational program. Part-time jobs can become a bridge for graduates from a computer program to work while they continue to perfect their skills. Faith-based and community organizations, businesses, and civic volunteer organizations can provide mentoring and leadership programs for residents. • Given reasonable caseloads, the case management approach can help pull together a variety of needed services at the local level in the service of a larger vision. However, larger system changes that are supportive of the integrated approach to service provision should be sought. Lessons Learned from FEMA’s Alternative Housing Pilot Program (AHPP) The AHPP is a four year program designed to identify, implement and evaluate disaster housing alternatives to the FEMA travel trailer. Although the AHPP effort is still in its infancy, FEMA has already learned several key lessons from this pilot. • Comprehensive planning is critical. The amount of planning time the States would need to implement these grants was severely underestimated. While there is an abundance of alternative housing designs available, the AHPP experience to date has made it abundantly clear that identifying an appropriate replacement (or replacements) to the FEMA travel trailer is the relatively easy part. The more difficult aspect is negotiating with a variety of local jurisdictions over placement, permitting, zoning, disposition, maintenance, etc. The lack of sufficient time allocated specifically for planning resulted in delays in implementation for three of the four grantees. Future projects would benefit from a pre-defined timeframe during which many implementation issues could be anticipated and planned for. • Community acceptance is critical. Each of the Grantees has experienced significant difficulty with locating sites for AHPP placement due to NIMBY issues. Securing community buy-in proved to be more difficult than expected. In many cases, local government officials were more resistant than residents. In the AHPP experience, not enough time was dedicated to educating local jurisdictions on the objectives and expected outcomes of the project. As a result, Grantees encountered significant resistance. While having a solid plan does not guarantee community acceptance, the lack of a comprehensive plan almost guarantees resistance. Local communities and their governing officials must be educated on the project from the start and must be engaged in helping to find mutually agreeable solutions. In the Mississippi AHPP, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) convinced their jurisdictions to allow them to place the units temporarily for two years. In this way, MEMA was afforded an opportunity to demonstrate the units to both local officials and residents. A clear understanding of any potential follow-on requirements is also critical, as some communities will have housing requirements well beyond the original deadlines and families needing housing may be again displaced in an effort to comply with a deadline. • Streamlining is critical. Many Grantees struggled with navigating the myriad of confusing and occasionally conflicting regulations governing such items as the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) and environmental review processes. Regarding UFAS, it was beneficial to discover that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has UFAS experts under contract. As a result, FEMA was able to utilize the knowledge and expertise free of charge, and by using a third-party, additional legitimacy was brought to the process. Additionally, it was learned that environmental assessments by various agencies were conducted very differently. At one site, severe frustration was experienced when the property owner realized that FEMA would not accept the environmental review that the Department of Defense (DOD) had previously conducted. Similar situations have arisen whereby FEMA did not accept an environmental review conducted by HUD. Finding ways to reduce duplication and streamline common processes will contribute greatly to future housing efforts. References Additional documents and sources were used to develop this Annex and can provide further information on the topics discussed herein. • Stafford Act, 42 USC §5174 (Sec. 408) • The Code of Federal Regulations, 44 CFR 206.110-117