United States Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., today made the following comments about yesterday’s late-night release of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Disaster Housing Strategy (NDHS). In July, FEMA released a version of the NDHS — 13 months after the legal deadline by which it was required — with significant shortcomings. In particular, an analysis of the NDHS revealed seven completely blank annexes, and that FEMA had yet to identify a reliable alternative for housing a substantial number of evacuees from large-scale catastrophes such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the federal levee failures that followed.
Sen. Landrieu made these remarks:
“They have a saying in Washington to describe the release of bad news on a Friday evening — they call it ‘taking out the trash.’
“Last night at 10 p.m., FEMA notified my staff that it would finally release a version of the National Disaster Housing Strategy (NDHS) complete with the seven annexes that were missing when they initially released the report in July. At 10:21 p.m., the strategy was released.
“I am disappointed that in the final hours of its term, this administration waited until the Friday night before Martin Luther King, Jr., Day and the Inaugural ceremony to release a report that is so critical to enabling FEMA to handle catastrophic disasters. It is as if they hoped they could release the report without anyone noticing.
“My staff is reviewing the document to see that it is consistent with the legal requirements set out in the Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (PKEMRA). Already, the staff has found that Annex Six, in which FEMA was required to list any new authorities it needs to improve its performance, remains completely blank. We are still reviewing the rest of the document.
“I will say this; we do not know when the next catastrophe will strike. The complete Strategy was required by law to be submitted to Congress in July of 2007. A year and a half has now passed since that deadline was missed, and a year and a half more time wasted before FEMA is fully prepared to handle a catastrophic housing crisis. I intend to call FEMA before the Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery to publicly examine the NDHS and ensure that it meets legal requirements. And, as we head into a new administration, I am prepared to work with Secretary-designate Napolitano and other leaders to ensure that FEMA will be stronger and better prepared than ever.”
Here is the FEMA “National Disaster Housing Strategy:
National Disaster Housing Strategy Released
Release Date: January 16, 2009
Release Number: FNF-09-001
National Disaster Housing Strategy Base Document (PDF 2.1MB)
National Disaster Housing Strategy Annexes (PDF 2.1MB)
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced the release of the National Disaster Housing Strategy. The Strategy summarizes, for the first time in a single document, the many sheltering and housing capabilities, principles, and policies that guide and inform the disaster housing process. The Strategy also charts the new direction that our disaster housing efforts must take to better meet the disaster housing needs of individuals and communities moving forward.
The Strategy promotes a national housing effort that engages all levels of government, the nonprofit and private sectors, and individuals to collectively meet the urgent housing needs of disaster victims and enable individuals, households and communities to rebuild and restore their way of life when a disaster threatens or strikes.
"The National Disaster Housing Strategy recognizes that effective housing solutions are those that go beyond simply providing a housing unit to also address the complex needs of disaster victims," FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison said. "The Strategy reflects the combined efforts of FEMA and many partner agencies, and incorporates feedback from organizations and the public that have a role in disaster housing, whether it's at the tribal, state or local level, with our private sector partners and with individuals."
The Strategy calls for a National Disaster Housing Task Force, which is chaired by FEMA, and jointly led with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National American Red Cross and includes experts from all levels of government, the private sector and non-governmental organizations. The Task Force will focus full time attention on disaster housing, developing operational plans, building disaster housing capabilities, and achieving the vision and goals of the Strategy.
"The Strategy illustrates the importance of federal, private and local partners working together to provide long-term housing assistance after a disaster," said HUD Secretary Preston. "HUD will continue to assist FEMA and others to address disaster housing needs."
FEMA received nearly 500 comments from individuals, industry representatives, associations, and State and local government representatives during the public comment period. Our housing staff has spent the past six months adjudicating these comments and seeking additional guidance and direction from our stakeholders in order to address these concerns and comments. The final Strategy incorporates most of these comments, as well as the input of numerous agencies and organizations at the federal, state, local levels. It includes seven annexes that summarize current disaster housing efforts and programs and provide the foundation to review, analyze, and improve disaster housing.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
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