The Direct Housing mission for Hurricane Harvey survivors is being administered by the State and implemented by local jurisdictions. With the federal government’s financial support, Texas is leading the way with housing solutions to help impacted communities recover.
Assistance may be available to applicants who live in a county designated for Direct Housing with a housing need of up to 18 months from date of disaster, which was August 25, 2017. Applicants must be pre-disaster homeowners whose residence has had a FEMA inspection with verified loss of $17,000 or pre-disaster renters whose residence was determined by FEMA to have received major damages or have been destroyed.
To be considered for eligibility for a FEMA short-term housing program, homeowners and renters must first register through one of the choices listed below:
- Online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
- FEMA mobile app, available at fema.gov/mobile-app.
- Phone (800) 621-3362 (711 or Video Relay Service) 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Central daily, TTY (800) 462-7585.
- At a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC). Find your nearest DRC at fema.gov/drc.
Several temporary housing solutions are in place for eligible Texans. Solutions include:
- Direct Assistance for Limited Home Repair (DALHR): The program provides repairs so applicants can live in their home again. Applicants may be eligible for DALHR if they are pre-disaster home owners whose residence has undergone a FEMA-issued inspection with a FEMA verified loss of at least $17,000.
- Manufactured Housing Options: This solution consists of Manufactured Housing Units (MHUs), Travel Trailers and non-motorized Recreational Vehicles (RVs). Manufactured housing options are placed on private land or commercial pads. Local permitting regulation or ordinances apply, as well as ordinances concerning manufactured housing and flood plain requirements. Sites will be inspected for feasibility before units are hauled and installed by the local entities involved.
- Direct Leasing: Enables the government to lease a property that would not generally be available to the public, such as corporate lodging, to house survivors. Properties must at a minimum provide complete and independent living facilities for one or more persons, including for living, sleeping, cooking and sanitation.
- Multi-Family Lease and Repair: The program allows local government entities to enter into agreements with owners of multi-family rental properties to repair or improve existing properties, such as apartments, for use by disaster survivors.