FEMA Did Not Fully Implement the State-Administered Direct Housing Grant Program

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did not fully implement the State-Administered Direct Housing Grant Program required by Section 1211(a) of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 (DRRA). Specifically, as of March 2024, FEMA had not issued final regulations to fully implement the program. This occurred because FEMA . Additionally, FEMA did not implement an effective pilot program. The DRRA had authorized FEMA to carry out a pilot program for up to 2 years until final regulations were issued. However, during the pilot period, FEMA only issued one narrowly focused grant award that did not authorize the recipient state to administer direct housing assistance on FEMA’s behalf. This occurred because FEMA did not issue timely guidance for the pilot program, leaving only 10 weeks to implement the pilot program before it expired. As a result, FEMA missed opportunities for state, territorial, and tribal (STT) governments to play a greater role in identifying and implementing disaster housing solutions to best meet their communities’ needs.