42 U.S.C. § 1490q: Disaster assistance

Summary

When the President declares a natural disaster under the Stafford Act, the Secretary must set aside money for the affected State to help the disaster counties and neighboring counties. Money can be allocated for any fiscal year that ends within the three years after the disaster declaration, but only if Congress provides the funds. The amount equals the State’s official estimate of how many homes in the eligible area were destroyed or badly damaged multiplied by 20 percent of the average cost of homes the Secretary helped in that State over the previous three years. The money can be used for the housing programs the Department runs. The Secretary must make rules so the funds are used quickly to restore decent, safe, and sanitary housing and must check and reduce natural hazards to rebuilt homes. Local governments and local nonprofits can get funds to build or repair housing for farm workers and their families. The Secretary may waive some rural-area rules and may advance money from the Rural Housing Insurance Fund when allowed by prior appropriation limits.

Title 42, §1490q

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Authority

(1)In general

Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, in the event of a natural disaster, so declared by the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act [42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.], the Secretary shall allocate, for assistance under this section to the States affected for use in the counties designated as disaster areas and the counties contiguous to such counties, amounts made available to the Secretary by an appropriations Act for such purpose. Allocations under this section may be made for each of the fiscal years ending during the 3-year period beginning on the declaration of the disaster by the President.

(2)Amount

Subject to the availability of amounts pursuant to appropriations Acts, assistance under paragraph (1) shall be made in an amount equal to the product of— (A)

(B)20 percent of the average cost of all dwelling units assisted by the Secretary in the State during the previous 3 years.

(b)Use

The assistance made available under this section may be used for the housing purposes authorized under this subchapter, and the Secretary shall issue such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section to assure the prompt and expeditious use of such funds for the restoration of decent, safe, and sanitary housing within the areas described in subsection (a)(1). In implementing this section, the Secretary shall evaluate the natural hazards to which any permanent replacement housing is exposed and shall take appropriate action to mitigate such hazards.

(c)Eligibility

Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, assistance allocated under this section shall be available to units of general local government and their agencies and to local nonprofit organizations, agencies, and corporations for the construction or rehabilitation of housing for agricultural employees and their families.

(d)Waiver of rural area requirements

The Secretary may waive the application of the provisions of section 1490 of this title with respect to assistance under this section, as the Secretary considers appropriate.

(e)Rural Housing Insurance Fund

The Secretary is authorized to advance from the Rural Housing Insurance Fund such sums as may be necessary to meet the requirements of subsection (a)(1), subject to limits previously approved in appropriations Acts.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), is Pub. L. 93–288, May 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 143, which is classified principally to chapter 68 (§ 5121 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 5121 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

1992—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 102–550 substituted “amounts made available to the Secretary by an appropriations Act for such purpose” for “amounts available under this subchapter”.

§1490q Disaster Assistance