# 119-hr-426: Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act

119-hr-426, Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13] (D-NY); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-426
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-426
- Congress: 119
- Title: Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-01-15
- Sponsor: Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13] (D-NY)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Emergency Management
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Easier access to post-disaster housing for people who lack formal title to their homes.** This bill would let the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the President treat people as "constructive owners" using alternative evidence and would widen what housing help is available after major disasters. - Families and disaster survivors: Would allow many kinds of documents — like deeds, property tax receipts, homeowners insurance, repair receipts, wills, or other records — to show ownership so people can qualify for disaster housing help when they lack formal title. - Mobile home and informal residents: Would explicitly recognize mobile home titles and letters from park owners or public offices as acceptable evidence, making it easier for those in less formal housing situations to get aid. - FEMA, the President, and housing options: Would change Stafford Act language to treat homes "damaged by a major disaster," let the President and FEMA pursue cost-effective temporary housing alternatives, and relax timing rules for certain pilot grants. The bill ties how budget effects are scored to the latest PAYGO statement filed by the House Budget Committee chair.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Rep. Kim, Young [R-CA-40] (R-CA), 2025-01-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2025-03-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rescom. Hernández, Pablo Jose [D-PR-At Large] (D-PR), 2025-12-09T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Easier FEMA housing aid after disasters: benefit, medium. If enacted, more disaster survivors could qualify for FEMA housing aid. Homes "damaged by a major disaster" would count, not only those rendered uninhabitable. If you lack a deed, FEMA would consider constructive ownership when it is more likely than not you owned and lived there. You could use oth…
- More flexible FEMA housing options: mixed, medium. If enacted, FEMA could choose housing help that is cheaper than other options. It would have to count the cost of temporary housing when deciding. FEMA’s pilot housing grants would no longer face a two-year deadline. Effects would depend on FEMA choices in each disaster. These changes would apply t…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-4393: DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-4206: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-426 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/426)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-4393: DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4393)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-4206: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4206)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-426 (as of 2026-09-21).