The National Disaster Recovery Framework introduces six new Recovery Support Functions that are led by designated federal coordinating agencies at the national level. Recovery Support Functions involve partners in the local, State and Tribal governments and private and nonprofit sectors not typically involved in emergency support functions but critically needed in disaster recovery. These new partners may include public and private organizations that have experience with permanent housing financing, economic development, advocacy for underserved populations and long-term community planning. The processes used for facilitating recovery are more flexible, context based and collaborative in approach than the task-oriented approach used during the response phase of an incident. Recovery processes should be scalable and based on demonstrated recovery needs. Each Recovery Support Function has a designated coordinating agency along with primary agencies and supporting organizations with programs relevant to the functional area. The Recovery Support Function Coordinating Agency, with the assistance of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, provides leadership, coordination and oversight for that particular. When coordinating agencies are activated to lead a Recovery Support Function, primary agencies and supporting organizations are expected to be responsive to the function related communication and coordination needs. HOUSING Coordinating Agency: Housing and Urban Development Primary Agencies: Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Justice, Housing and Urban Development and Department of Agriculture. . Supporting Organizations: Corporation for National and Community Service, Department of Commerce, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Health and Human Services, Small Business Administration, U.S. Access Board, Veterans Affairs, American Red Cross, National Organizations Active in Disasters Mission Address pre- and post-disaster housing issues and coordinate and facilitate the delivery of Federal resources and activities to assist local, State and Tribal governments in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of destroyed and damaged housing, whenever feasible, and development of other new accessible, permanent housing options. Function The core recovery capability for housing is the ability to implement housing solutions that effectively support the needs of the whole community and contribute to its sustainability and resilience. Like infrastructure and safety services, housing is a critical and often challenging component of disaster recovery. It is critical because local economies cannot recover from devastating disasters without adequate housing, especially affordable housing. It is challenging because many years’ worth of housing repair, rehabilitation, reconstruction and new construction often need to occur at an accelerated pace as a result of a disaster. These conditions create design, construction, labor, materials, logistics, inspection and financing issues. The Housing Recovery Support Function, through its member departments and agencies, works toward addressing disaster housing issues pre-disaster, focusing on solutions that are implementable, sustainable and resilient. As States and communities look to the Federal Government for assistance in housing both disaster survivors and others who choose to live in recovering communities, the Housing RSF coordinates and effectively integrates available housing-related resources, addresses conflicting policy and program issues and identifies gaps in service and assistance delivery. Consistent with the National Disaster Housing Strategy (NDHS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maintains lead responsibility for sheltering and interim housing with interim housing support from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as well as other primary agencies and support organizations. Sheltering falls under ESF #6 in the National Response Framework (NRF) where DHS/FEMA is the coordinating agency. Interim housing, as its name implies, is a transition to permanent housing and is dependent on the period of transition as responsibility moves from Emergency Support Function (ESF) #6 to the Housing Recovery Support Function. Addressing permanent housing, the third focus area of the NDHS, is under the Housing Recovery Support Function. PRE-DISASTER: THE HOUSING RECOVERY SUPPORT FUNCTION * Works with local, State and Tribal governments, organizations and others in coordination with the National Disaster Housing Task Force, Joint Housing Solutions Group. * Identifies strategies and options that address a broad range of disaster housing issues such as those dealing with planning, zoning, design, production, logistics, codes and financing. * Builds accessibility, resilience, sustainability and mitigation measures into identified housing recovery strategies. POST-DISASTER: THE HOUSING RECOVERY SUPPORT FUNCTION * When activated by the FDRC, the primary and supporting departments and agencies deploy in support of the Housing RSF mission. * Coordinates and leverages Federal housing-related resources to assist local, State and Tribal governments to address housing-related, disaster recovery needs. * Encourages rapid and appropriate decisions regarding land use and housing location in the community or region. * Identifies gaps and coordinates a resolution of conflicting policy and program issues. * Maintains robust and accessible communications throughout the recovery process between the Federal Government and all other partners to ensure ongoing dialogue and information sharing. OUTCOMES FOR THE HOUSING RECOVERY SUPPORT FUNCTION Departments and agencies with expertise in long-term housing solutions work through this RSF and in conjunction with the National Disaster Housing Task Force so that: * Housing resources that address local, State and Tribal disaster recovery housing needs are coordinated. * Planning for current and post-disaster requirements are integrated into the organizations at the local and State level that perform land and community planning and building code administration. * Local, State, Tribal and Federal programs, industry and construction options for addressing post-disaster housing needs are in place. * Research results related to the disaster recovery housing area are shared. * Interagency knowledge and expertise are shared with State-led housing task forces to address disaster housing issues. * Pre- and post-disaster interaction and problem solving among Federal agencies and stakeholders with a focus on reconstructing permanent housing, including affordable and accessible housing that incorporates resilience, sustainability and mitigation concepts are facilitated. * Timely construction of housing that complies with local, State and national model building codes, including accessibility standards, is facilitated. * Loss of historic buildings and resources is minimized. ### September 2011 4