National Disaster Housing Efforts

To focus national attention on disaster housing to improve sheltering, interim housing, and permanent housing efforts, FEMA will establish a National Disaster Housing Joint Task Force, comprised of Federal employees. This Joint Task Force will provide a full-time focus, elevate the significance of disaster housing preparedness, and oversee the implementation of the Strategy.  The Joint Task Force will focus FEMA’s disaster housing efforts and will fulfill the following primary roles:  

1. Initiate Deliberative Planning.  The Joint Task Force will lead disaster housing contingency planning and preparedness efforts, oversee implementation of the Strategy, and advise the FEMA Administrator.  These responsibilities include identifying lessons learned and best practices and engaging a broad range of stakeholders.  To raise the visibility of disaster housing issues, foster innovation, and build capabilities, the Joint Task Force will host conferences and conduct other disaster housing-related outreach activities.  The specific short-term and long-term tasks for the Joint Task Force are described below.
2. Support Incident Response and Recovery.  During the response to a major incident that requires a significant housing effort, the Joint Task Force will provide technical expertise and advice to the Joint Field Office and the State-led Disaster Housing Joint Task Force.  This assistance may include deploying liaisons or teams to the affected States to help tailor Federal disaster housing plans to meet the needs of the particular event.  In this role, representatives from the Joint Task Force will work with and support established FEMA field operations and structures.

To obtain stakeholder input, the Joint Task Force will request the National Advisory Council (NAC) to create a new subcommittee or expand an existing subcommittee, which will assess government efforts to improve disaster housing across the Nation and provide advice and stakeholder input as the Strategy is being implemented.  FEMA may also seek individual advice from organizations as needed to obtain information on specific disaster housing issues, such as housing needs for special populations.  Following are the types of organizations that may be involved:

1. Private sector organizations, such as the Manufactured Housing Institute, the building and construction industry, real estate professionals, urban planners, and architects.
2. Nongovernmental organizations, ranging from the American Red Cross, National Emergency Management Association, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, disability support organizations, the Manufactured Housing Institute, and National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.
3. National or international experts in sheltering, interim housing, and permanent housing. 
4. Organizations, such as the National Council on Disabilities, with expertise in specific important housing-related areas, such as case management, and special needs populations. 

The Joint Task Forcewould also engage the following governmental entities:

1. Federal Government, including FEMA, HUD, SBA, USDA, VA, USACE, and HHS.
2. State and tribal governments, including a range of States and tribes with varying capabilities and resources.
3. Local governments, including large metropolitan areas and rural jurisdictions.

The following sections describe the short-term and longer-term tasks the Joint Task Force should undertake to implement the Strategy.

Short-Term Tasks

1. Develop an Implementation Plan. 

   The Joint Task Force must develop a national Implementation Plan to achieve the goals within the Strategy and address the challenges in sheltering, interim housing, and permanent housing.  While the Strategy lays the groundwork, achieving its vision and strategic goals will require the collective experience of experts from across the Nation.  The Implementation Plan should be developed collaboratively within 6 months of publication of the Strategy and reflect the expertise, ideas, and guidance of disaster housing stakeholders.

   The Implementation Plan should use the Strategy's vision and strategic goals as a starting point, translating them into measurable objectives, actions, and milestones.  The plan must prioritize those actions and establish a realistic timeline.  The Joint Task Force should also identify which organizations are best positioned to lead each action, as well as which organizations will play key supporting roles.  Developing this plan will require not only cooperation and compromise, but also a continued critical look at whether the course charted by the Joint Task Force will achieve the broader national goals. 

   The Strategy was written in broad terms to provide the Joint Task Force the opportunity to explore a range of ideas, encourage creativity, and foster innovation.  Yet the Strategy points purposefully to future directions for sheltering, interim housing, and permanent housing that should be further defined in the Implementation Plan.  The Joint Task Force must accomplish their task by asking hard questions and continuing to assess key principles, review current practices, and prioritize the future directions within each area.

   Every year the Joint Task Force should produce a report that evaluates the Nation’s progress in implementing the Strategy, proposing course adjustments as needed.  Every 4 years, the Joint Task Force should review and revise the Strategy as necessary.

   The effectiveness of disaster housing efforts will be determined by the people who fulfill key roles and how they carry out their responsibilities, including their commitment to develop plans and partnerships, conduct joint training and exercises, and achieve shared goals.  Ultimately, our success will be evaluated by individuals and families who are forced from their homes by future disasters.

2. Improve planning for all disaster housing response and recovery operations. 

   The Joint Task Force must develop a comprehensive concept of operations (CONOPS) that describes how disaster housing is provided during response and recovery operations.  The purpose of the CONOPS is to create a definitive description of how the emergency management community provides disaster housing, and to do so in a manner that draws concurrence from all stakeholders.  The urgency of disaster housing issues facing the nation makes this a high-priority task and drives the requirement to complete the CONOPS within 10 months of the publication of the Strategy. 

   The CONOPS will:
   

   • Describe specific roles and responsibilities and the actions each player must take to execute effective disaster housing operations across all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector.
   • Integrate disaster housing capabilities into standard disaster response and recovery operations.
   • List disaster housing options for the various phases (sheltering, interim, and permanent) along with pertinent supporting information to guide housing decisions.
   • Explain how disaster housing operations will be conducted for the normal ranges of disasters and emergencies.
     

   The CONOPS must build on the fundamental principle that the State is responsible for the welfare of its residents and that the Federal Government has a key support role in helping the State to house disaster victims.  It must also take advantage of best practices and capabilities that have been developed at the  State and local levels.  The CONOPS should outline a range of disaster housing partnership arrangements between the State and Federal governments and with nongovernmental organizations and the private sector.  All States must have baseline disaster housing capabilities to articulate requirements, evaluate and select options, and, if requesting Federal assistance, take responsibility for and manage the assistance when it is provided.  Some States and localities have greater experience and greater expertise to apply to the process.  When a disaster strikes, those States may assume a more direct role by designing disaster housing options and implementing the actual housing solutions, with the Federal Government providing funding, technical assistance, and requisite program oversight. 

   The CONOPS must also explain the Federal Government's normal disaster housing support role in operational terms, along with the Federal Government's responsibility to maintain readiness to assume a greater role in housing disaster victims if required.

   The Joint Task Force should examine how disaster housing assistance is provided under the National Response Framework (NRF) (and its annexes) to ensure consistency with the Strategy and identify potential gaps.  Included in this effort should be an evaluation of the NRF emergency support functions (ESF), specifically ESF 6 Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Housing, and Human Services and ESF 14 Long-Term Community Recovery, to determine, among other things, whether disaster housing is efficiently addressed or whether it should be established as a separate ESF.  Based on this assessment, the Joint Task Force should recommend changes or improvements to ensure that disaster housing issues are addressed fully, consistently and most effectively.

   The Joint Task Force will also assess whether the National Planning System should be expanded to better address disaster housing assistance.  Establishing disaster housing as a standard planning topic will ensure that it is formally addressed in national plans for all scenarios.  This approach will help institutionalize disaster housing planning as a standard element of national, State, and local plans by providing a template for emergency operations plans and housing annexes.  It will also provide Federal departments and agencies, States, tribal governments, local jurisdictions, and private-sector and nongovernmental organizations with national disaster housing information to guide the development of their operations plans.

3. Provide additional support to address the unique challenges of a catastrophic event.

   Building on the disaster housing CONOPS described above, the Joint Task Force must examine the unique requirements that the nation will face in the event of a catastrophic disaster.  Planning to meet the disaster housing requirements resulting from a catastrophic event involves issues that do not simply reflect larger numbers of people to be housed (although that will certainly be a factor).  Planning for catastrophic events involves complexity on a new order of magnitude as officials confront issues such as dispersion of evacuees to great distances and multiple States, extended stays in disaster housing, and unprecedented requirements for social support services.  Those providing disaster housing in catastrophic events must anticipate requirements for not only greater quantities of resources, but also for entirely new and different capabilities. 

   Based on these unique circumstances, the Joint Task Force should develop a catastrophic CONOPS.  This CONOPS must describe a national approach to housing people displaced by the full range of catastrophic hazards.  The CONOPS must provide comprehensive frameworks for two basic and very different scenarios:  1) events in which the displacement of victims is massive but temporary – resulting, for example, from a major hurricane; and 2) an event, such as a nuclear accident or a terrorist attack using a weapon of mass destruction, in which some area of the United States is rendered uninhabitable for months or years. 

   Finally, the catastrophic disaster housing CONOPS will drive improvements in disaster housing planning and further define the capabilities that may be required.  The CONOPS will support the Catastrophic Incident Supplement to the National Response Framework.  As the National Planning System becomes fully implemented, the catastrophic disaster housing CONOPS must be tailored to support the full spectrum of scenario-based national plans.

Long-Term Tasks

1. Build capabilities across all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector.

   All levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector must be prepared to support housing operations whenever disasters strike.  Preparedness includes developing sufficient capabilities, including the functions or services required to successfully execute a given mission.  Based on their disaster housing responsibilities and roles, all organizations should define and build capabilities to support the Strategy and execute the National Disaster Housing CONOPS.  Developing these capabilities should be based on the principles in the National Incident Management System and build on best practices, when possible.  To develop capabilities for this type of operation, organizations typically work together to:

   • Develop operational plans and specify requirements, which may include tasks such as selecting and purchasing the appropriate tools and equipment, developing mission-specific training programs, and supporting long-term professional development.
   • Define what capabilities will be needed by which organizations to support disaster housing response and recovery operations.
   • Identify existing resources to support these capabilities, including people with appropriate skills and core competencies, equipment, systems and technologies, or commodities.
   • Conduct exercises and assess operations to identify lessons learned and best practices that can be used to revise and continually improve plans.  

   Improving national capabilities and preparedness for disaster housing requires cooperation among all disaster housing stakeholders, including all levels of government, the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations.  Joint planning sessions can shorten the process of defining requirements, identifying what capabilities are needed by which organizations, and developing complementary operational plans and joint exercises.  When gaps in capabilities are identified, responsible officials must take on the task of building or enhancing those capabilities.

   Disaster housing involves capabilities that are both demanding and unique.  For example, the capacity to plan, install, and manage interim housing community sites involves skills and resources for construction engineering and public works, government services, social work, environmental considerations and project management, and diplomacy.  Assisting with permanent housing for displaced disaster victims requires an entirely different set of resources.  Building such capabilities in various levels of government and agencies where they do not currently exist will require time, support, and compelling motivation.

   The Joint Task Force must determine what tools will be required to foster the development of these capabilities.  Planning, training, and exercise support will be essential, but it will not be enough.  The Joint Task Force must work with the FEMA National Preparedness Directorate to incorporate disaster housing capability building into national preparedness efforts that will engage stakeholders at all levels.  The capability-building efforts must be planned and resourced to be sustainable over long periods of time because of the size and scope of the problem.  Finally, capability-building efforts must include eligibility for existing grant programs and other State or Federal financial incentives to encourage State, local, and tribal governments to see disaster housing capability building as a high-priority activity.

   Because of the interagency and interdisciplinary nature of the disaster housing process, preparedness efforts will be designed to include nongovernmental organization and private-sector roles.  Officials at all levels will be encouraged to include these partners in disaster housing planning, training, and exercises.

2. Expand national resources to support preparedness.

   It is impossible to conduct effective programs without adequate resources to support preparedness.  Resource development should be driven by clear requirements based on the responsibilities, competences, and capabilities needed to support disaster housing response and recovery operations.  The Joint Task Force should identify those requirements and develop national resources to support planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and continually improving national disaster housing efforts. 

   Key areas where national resources may be required are described below:

   • Online Disaster Housing Resource Center.  To support disaster housing preparedness, the Joint Task Force should develop an online disaster housing resource center.  This web portal will centralize existing resources, materials, and tools for emergency management and disaster housing practitioners.  The resource center will grow and evolve in support of the Strategy and those who are called upon to implement it.  This effort should include a national assessment to identify tools and resources for the resource center as well as unmet State and local needs.
   • Planning Support.  Additional guidelines, templates, and models should be developed, in consultation with states and other stakeholders, to support disaster housing planning that helps build national capabilities for the full range of disasters that may occur.  These tools must be adaptable for local, State, and Federal planning and include forums for joint planning to identify potential gaps.  In addition, specific disaster housing planning requirements must be developed to drive capabilities.  These requirements should address the full range of individual and community needs, including special needs populations as well as pet owners.  Disaster housing planning tools must also be adaptable to meet the diverse range of communities, from smaller rural areas to densely populated urban areas. 
   • Funding/Staffing.  Implementing the Strategy will require dedicated funding and staffing.  The Joint Task Force should identify existing funding and staffing requirements to support the Strategy and how these needs can be met through existing programs and through expanded partnerships to pool limited resources toward joint goals.  As part of this effort, FEMA will review how existing grant programs could support disaster housing preparedness at the local and State levels.  For example, as part of the 2007 Emergency Management Performance Grants  FEMA required 25 percent of funding to be applied toward planning.  All organizations should review their own disaster housing responsibilities and roles and dedicate the necessary resources to fulfill their roles and develop requisite capabilities.  This may require developing partnerships or agreements with nearby jurisdictions.
   • Training.  The Joint Task Force will work with FEMA training organizations such as the Center for Domestic Preparedness and the Emergency Management Institute to develop competency-based training activities to support the creation of disaster housing capabilities.  Training will include traditional classroom courses, exercise-based courses, and online training as appropriate to meet the needs of diverse disaster housing stakeholders.  Training results will be captured and provided to the Joint Task Force to gauge program effectiveness.
   • Technical Assistance.  The Joint Task Force should explore what types and levels of technical assistance are needed and how to best provide that support.  In some cases, technical assistance can be provided through online toolkits or through interactive workshops that enable local and State governments to share best practices with each other and jointly address common challenges.  In other cases, these needs may help further define the types of Federal support that should be provided during a Presidentially declared disaster.  Other needs may best be addressed by working closely with key associations in emergency management, city planning, architecture, or other areas to develop national conferences or workshops.
   • Improving Individual and Household Preparedness.  FEMA supports State and local efforts to encourage individuals and households to be prepared for disasters and emergencies through initiatives such as "Ready.gov" and "Are You Ready?" that provide training and outreach materials.  This includes guidance on developing personal and household emergency plans, for example, and public service announcements regarding other recommended preparedness measures.  The Joint Task Force should examine these programs to ensure that they address the specific steps individuals and families must take in case an event should force them from their homes either temporarily or for an extended period.  The Joint Task Force should enhance existing outreach programs, including collaboration with disability support organizations, and develop new ones as needed to help State and local governments improve this important element of individual and family preparedness.
   • Improving Federal Systems.   Federal systems that support housing operations should be efficient and effective in providing timely information for both response officials and policymakers.  Examine existing systems to ensure, for example, that they track the movement of registrants as they receive sheltering, interim housing, and permanent housing assistance.
   • Engaging the Private Sector.  Earlier sections of the Strategy reference the key roles that housing agents and rental property owners, the manufactured housing industry, and builders play in disaster housing.  The Joint Task Force should look for ways to foster those relationships, expand communications, and extend the scope of private-sector engagement by reaching out to other sectors (e.g., retail merchants, medical equipment manufacturers, and urban planners) that may not traditionally be associated with disaster housing.  The Joint Task Force should also examine impediments, such as complicated government contracting processes, that prevent companies from sharing innovation, expertise, and more efficient methods of handling aspects of disaster housing.
3. Review and Assess Disaster Housing Authorities

   A key requirement of the Post-Katrina Emergency Reform Act (PKEMRA) is for FEMA to "describe any additional authorities necessary to carry out any portion of the National Disaster Housing Strategy." 

   Analyses conducted by FEMA and HUD indicate that both organizations may require additional authorities.  These requirements are being developed and will be forwarded upon completion.