Lessons Learned from Prior Reports on FEMA's 50 Percent Repair-or-Replace Rule Decisions

In seven audits conducted from 2012 through 2016, we identified the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) past challenges making accurate repair-or-replace decisions. Based on our prior work, this report identifies 10 improper decisions or miscalculations FEMA should avoid when making such decisions to ensure that grant funds are properly spent. FEMA is assisting in the recovery from some of the most catastrophic disasters in U.S. history — Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and the October 2017 California wildfires. FEMA has made several corrective actions in response to our prior reports. Together with the lessons learned, the corrective actions may help minimize the risk that taxpayer dollars will be wasted on ineligible replacement costs. We made no recommendations.