FEMA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) developed the Pre-Disaster Housing Planning Initiative (PDHI) to promote collaborative approaches to disaster housing recovery challenges and to bolster state, Tribal Nation and territorial planning for housing recovery before disasters occur.
The joint FEMA and HUD Pre-Disaster Housing Planning Initiative Report is available for states, Tribal Nations, territories and the emergency management community to learn about effective practices to help address housing needs that arise after a disaster. The published findings summarize the efforts and lessons learned during the 2023 pilot with Louisiana, Montana, New Jersey and Washington, and focuses on the 77 aspects of the joint housing initiative that enabled the states to successfully engage in pre-disaster housing planning.
Key takeaways of the report include the importance of identifying and addressing housing recovery challenges in a non-disaster environment, the benefit of information sharing among states and the value in tailoring federal support and resources to the unique needs and challenges of each state. This collaborative effort helps build local capacity and ensures states, Tribal Nations and territories adopt a proactive approach to housing recovery. Planning around existing housing shortfalls before disasters can help communities recover more quickly during emergencies and ensure more resilient outcomes.
In addition to the report, a Pre-Disaster Housing Planning Checklist and Guide as well as a Federal Housing and Sheltering Resource Timeline and Compendium were developed during the initiative and are available for states, Tribal Nations and territories to begin maturing their pre-disaster housing strategies.
A second cohort of the initiative is planned, and FEMA and HUD will engage with different states to boost their housing recovery capabilities.
For more information, visit fema.gov.
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If you have any questions, please contact FEMA’s Office of External Affairs:
- Congressional Affairs at (202) 646-4500 or at FEMA-Congressional-Affairs@fema.dhs.gov
- Intergovernmental Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov
- Tribal Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-Tribal@fema.dhs.gov
- Private Sector Engagement at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-Private-Sector@fema.dhs.gov
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FEMA Mission
Helping people before, during, and after disasters.
