HUD: 29 Waivers to Help Fla.’s Hurricane Idalia Recovery

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a package of 29 regulatory and administrative waivers aimed at helping communities in Florida accelerate their recovery from Hurricane Idalia.

“My thoughts are with the families whose homes were lost or had extensive damage caused by Hurricane Idalia,” says HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge.

HUD programs covered by the regulatory relief covers

• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
• HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME)
• Housing Trust Fund (HTF)
• Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)
• Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
• Continuum of Care (CoC)
• Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP)

To expedite the use of the funds, HUD’s state and local partners can access a waiver through a new simplified notification process. HUD is providing flexibility by:

• Allowing new housing construction with CDBG funding in declared disaster areas.
• Suspending the CDBG public services cap to provide additional support services related to the effects of the disaster on individuals and families.
• Waiving the HOME matching contribution requirements and CHDO set aside to expeditiously provide housing to displaced persons and repair properties damaged by the disaster.
• Providing flexibility in HOME tenant-based rental assistance requirements to reduce the burden for those seeking assistance.
• Extending term limits for certain types of assistance, including CDBG emergency grant payments and ESG rental assistance.

This waiver follows HUD flexibilities announced on September 6 following the natural disaster declaration. Below are examples of what CPD funding can be used for in the wake of a disaster:

• Housing rehabilitation
• Housing reconstruction
• Homebuyer programs replacing disaster damaged residences
• Acquisition and relocation programs to help people move out of floodplains
• Infrastructure improvements
• Demolition of buildings
• Reconstruction or replacement of public facilities
• Small business grants and loans
• Assistance to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness after a disaster

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