Bipartisan Policy Center surveyed CDBG-DR grantees to better support communities as they recover from disasters. Takeaways include almost all respondents found CDBG-DR funding to be somewhat or very important to their state or community’s recovery and 69 percent of survey respondents say that housing is the unmet need that CDBG-DR funding has been most important in addressing. See survey results.
Since July 26th southeastern Kentucky has seen some of the worst flooding in the state’s history, according to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. The region has received about 12 inches of rain with another two expected on Friday. So far 15 fatalities have been reported and hundreds are trapped in flooded areas. Hundreds of homes are expected to be destroyed by this flood, along with vital infrastructure in many towns and rural areas. This disaster is ongoing, and the full impacts have not been assessed yet. HAC offers the following guide as a source of information for individuals and families dealing with direct housing loss and damage from the rain and flooding. For more information, please see HAC’s disaster resources: Rural Resilience and Disaster Response for Rural Communities Guide.
If your house is inaccessible or currently uninhabitable, emergency, transient housing will likely be made available to provide immediate shelter for those in need. Organizations and resources available to assist with emergency transient housing in previous similar disasters include the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Church World Service, Mennonite Disaster Service, and state- and city-run emergency shelters. If you are in need of emergency, transient housing, you can text SHELTER and your Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA) to find where the shelter closest to you is located.
FEMA makes available temporary assistance funding for residents of counties affected by flooding. Temporary assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. To see if you are eligible for funding, you can apply online at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ or call FEMA’s toll-free helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA(3362). When applying, make sure to have a pen and paper as well as the following information: your social security number, current and pre-disaster address, a telephone number where you can be contacted, insurance information, total household income, a routing and account number from your bank if you are interested in having disaster assistance funds transferred directly into your bank account, and a description of your losses that were caused by the disaster.
Tips
Please keep in mind the following safety protocols for flooding:
This flooding event is a reminder that all residents in this area should carry flood insurance. Contact your insurance agent for more information about purchasing flood insurance or visit the National Flood Insurance Program at www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program or call 1-888-379-9531. Please keep in mind that new insurance policies take 30 days to go into effect.
If your home has experienced damage, remember to check the outside of your home before you enter. Look for loose power lines, broken or damaged gas lines, foundations cracks, missing support beams, or other damage. It may be safest to ask a building inspector or contractor to check the structure before you enter. Do not force jammed doors open, as they may be providing needed support to the rest of the home. Sniff for gas to ensure there are no natural or propane gas leaks. If you do have a propane tank system, make sure to turn off all valves and contact a propane supplier to check the system before you use it again. Check floors and ceilings to ensure they are not sagging from water damage. This can be especially hazardous. Take photographs of any damage as you may need them for insurance claims or FEMA claims later on.
Resources
Apply for FEMA Assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. FEMA Disaster Assistance Helpline answers questions about the help offered by FEMA, how to apply for assistance, or the information in your account.
Toll-free helpline: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)
For hearing impaired callers only:
1-800-462-7585 (TTY)
1-800-621-3362 (Video Relay Service)
Operators are multilingual and calls are answered seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET
American Red Cross Disaster Service: For referrals and updates on Red Cross shelter services in your area, locate a local Red Cross office through: https://www.redcross.org/find-help or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767)
The Red Cross helps disaster victims by providing safe shelter, hot meals, essential relief supplies, emotional support and health services like first aid. Trained Red Cross workers often meet one-on-one with families to develop individual plans and identify available resources to help aid recovery.
STATE HOUSING AGENCY
Kentucky Housing Corporation
1231 Louisville Road, Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone:502-564-7630
Phone: 800-633-8896 (KY only)
https://www.kyhousing.org
HUD STATE FIELD OFFICE
Gene Snyder Courthouse
601 W. Broadway, Room 110
Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: (502) 582-5251
Fax: (502) 582-6074
TTY: (800) 648-6056
Email: Customer Service
USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT STATE OFFICE
Thomas Carew, State Director
771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200
Lexington, KY 40503
Phone: (859) 224-7300
Fax: (855) 661-8335
https://www.rd.usda.gov/ky
STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Kentucky Emergency Management
100 Minuteman Pkwy, Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone: (800) 255-2587
https://kyem.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx
In an academic paper and an article more accessible for non-scientists, researchers report that over the next 30 years, the cost of flood damage in the U.S. is on pace to rise 26% due to climate change alone. Factoring in population growth, however, makes the increase in flood losses four times higher than the climate-only effect. The study also found that the current flood risk is predominantly concentrated in white, impoverished communities, many of them on the coasts or in Appalachian valleys, whereas the 30-year increase in risk falls disproportionately on urban and rural communities with large Black populations on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. New Flood Maps Show US Damage Rising 26% in Next 30 Years Due to Climate Change Alone, and the Inequity is Stark includes an interactive map providing risk estimates by county.
The first reported case of COVID-19 in rural America was on February 20, 2020. As of January 20, 2022 there have been more than 9.6 million reported cases of COVID-19 and more than 152,000 associated deaths in communities outside metropolitan areas. Between December 20, 2021 and January 20, 2022 communities outside of metropolitan areas reported more than 1.8 million new cases of COVID-19 – a 223 percent increase over the previous month.
On Friday night, December 10th, 2021, tornadoes up to 80 mph swept across six states in the Midwest and South, leaving more than 70 dead. Several states are experiencing power outages. President Biden approved an emergency declaration for Kentucky, which was hit by four tornadoes, one of which stayed on the ground for more than 200 miles. Michael Dossett, director of the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management, said the agency is already working to start cleaning up the debris and rebuild. For more information about preparing for and recovering from natural disasters, visit Rural Resilience.
Apply for FEMA Assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. FEMA Disaster Assistance Helpline answers questions about the help offered by FEMA, how to apply for assistance, or the information in your account.
Toll-free helpline: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)
For hearing impaired callers only:
1-800-462-7585 (TTY)
1-800-621-3362 (Video Relay Service)
Operators are multilingual and calls are answered seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET
American Red Cross Disaster Service: For referrals and updates on Red Cross shelter services in your area, locate a local Red Cross office through: https://www.redcross.org/find-help or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767)
The Red Cross helps disaster victims by providing safe shelter, hot meals, essential relief supplies, emotional support and health services like first aid. Trained Red Cross workers often meet one-on-one with families to develop individual plans and identify available resources to help aid recovery.
Arkansas
Arkansas Development Finance Authority
P.O. Box 8023
Little Rock, AR 72203-8023
Phone: (501) 682-5900
Fax: (501) 682-5939
Illinois
Illinois Housing Development Authority
111 E Wacker Drive, Suite 1000
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 836-5200
Fax: (312) 832-2170
Kentucky
Kentucky Housing Corporation
1231 Louisville Road
Frankfort, KY 40601-6156
Phone: (502) 564-7630
Fax: (502) 564-7322
Mississippi
Mississippi Home Corporation
735 Riverside Drive
Jackson, MS 39202-1166
Phone: (601) 718-4642
Fax: (601) 718-4643
Missouri
Missouri Housing Development Commission
920 Main Street, Suite 1400
Kansas City, MO 64105-2017
Phone: (816) 759-6600
Fax: (816) 301-7000
Tennessee
Tennessee Housing Development Agency
502 Deaderick Street, Third Floor
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: (615) 815-2200
Fax: (615) 564-2700
Arkansas
Little Rock Field Office
425 West Capitol Avenue
Suite 1000
Little Rock, AR 72201-3488
(501) 918-5700
Director: Wanda C. Merritt
Illinois
Chicago Regional Office
Ralph Metcalfe Federal Building
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604-3507
(312) 353-6236
Kentucky
Louisville Field Office
Gene Snyder Courthouse
601 West Broadway
Room 110
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 582-5251
Director: Ahsaki Thurman
Mississippi
Dr. A. H. McCoy Federal Building
100 West Capitol Street
Room 910
Jackson, MS 39269-1096
(601) 965-4757
Director: Jerrie G. Magruder
Missouri
St. Louis Field Office
1222 Spruce Street
Suite 3.203
St. Louis, MO 63103-2836
(314) 418-5400
Director: James Heard
Tennessee
200 Jefferson Suite 300
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 544-3367
Director: Sernorma Mitchell
Arkansas
Karen Petrus, Acting State Director
Federal Building
700 West Capitol Avenue, Room 3416
Little Rock, AR 72201-3225
Voice: (501) 301-3216
Illinois
Molly K. Hammond, Acting State Director
2118 West Park Court, Suite A
Champaign, IL 61821
(217) 403-6200
Kentucky
Louisville Field Office
Gene Snyder Courthouse
601 West Broadway
Room 110
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 582-5251
Mississippi
Douglas Simons, Acting State Director
Federal Building, Suite 831
100 West Capitol Street
Jackson, MS 39269
(601) 965-4316
Missouri
D Clark Thomas, Acting State Director
601 Business Loop 70 West
Parkade Center, Suite 235
Columbia, MO 65203
(573) 876-0976
Tennessee
Dan Beasley, Acting State Director
441 Donelson Pike, Suite 310
Nashville, TN 37214
(615) 783-1300
Arkansas
Building 9501
Camp Joseph T. Robinson
North Little Rock, AR 72199
(501) 683-6700
Illinois
2200 South Dirksen Parkway
Springfield, Illinois 62703
IEMA Main Office (217) 782-2700
24-hour Response (217) 782-7860
TTY 888-614-2381
Mississippi
P.O. Box 5644
Pearl, Mississippi
(601) 933-MEMA
24 hour emergency line: 1-800-222-MEMA(6362)
Missouri
St. Charles Co.
Capt. Chris Hunt
1400 T.R. Hughes Blvd., Suite 230
O’Fallon, MO 63366
(636) 949-3023
Pemiscot Co.
Jess Cagle
PO Box 1031
Caruthersville, MO 63830
(573) 333-4101
Tennessee
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency
Patrick C. Sheehan, Director
3041 Sidco Dr.
Nashville, TN 37204
(615) 741-0001
Over the past a year and a half, the coronavirus pandemic has profoundly reshaped the world. COVID-19 has killed well over 4.5 million people across the globe, including approximately 96,600 in rural America. It closed down large segments of the economies of nearly every country, including the United States. It changed the way our children attended school. It deepened our political disagreements. And it altered our housing markets, the ways we work, and the needs of the low-income rural people we serve.
This issue of Rural Voices looks at some of the pandemic’s impacts on affordable rural housing efforts in the U.S. It also examines ways these impacts may be turning into lasting changes – a “new normal.”
Listening and Learning to Better Serve Rural Communities
by Steven K. Washington
HUD offers flexibility to help rural nonprofits weather the pandemic.
Rural Housing Efforts Continued Through Closures, Natural Disasters, and Financial Challenges
Four rural housing leaders describe how the pandemic changed the ways their organizations work.
Resilient in the Desert: Self-Help Housing Blooms in Arizona Despite the Pandemic
by Thomas Ryan
Housing America Corporation and its self-help housing program faced a series of challenges but adapted to a new normal.
Study Reveals Pandemic’s Impact on Oregon Farmworkers
by Jennifer Martinez-Medina
Survey results describe the pandemic’s threats to farmworkers’ family finances, housing conditions, and both physical and mental health. Community-based housing and rental aid programs have provided some relief.
Wisconsin Works to House Rural Residents and Eradicate Homelessness
by Carrie Poser and Michael Basford
The pandemic has exacerbated the homelessness situation, but federal aid helps.
Keeping Rural Renters Housed During the Pandemic
by Victoria Bourret, Daniel Threet, And Rebecca Yae
NLIHC presents best practices for ensuring rural tenants receive emergency rental assistance.
We welcomed several new HACsters to the team this year. Their work will improve our ability to serve more rural Americans and bolster HAC’s efforts to support affordable housing in rural communities.
Rural Voices would like to hear what you have to say about one, or all, of these issues. Please comment on these stories by sending a tweet to #RuralVoices, discuss on the Rural Affordable Housing Group on LinkedIn, or on our Facebook page.
The Housing Assistance Council presents updated data on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on rural communities.
As of September 30, there have been more than 6.5 million reported cases of COVID-19 and approximately 114,163 associated deaths in communities outside metropolitan areas. During September, communities outside of metropolitan areas reported more than 870,000 new cases – a 24 percent increase over the month of August. Since the onset of the Delta variant this summer, death rates have been substantially higher in rural places than in metro areas.
Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana, as a Category 4 storm in the early morning of August 29, 2021. More than 1 million customers are experiencing power outages. Ida was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved northeast, but it has caused major flooding in New York and New Jersey, where the governors have declared emergencies. Central Park received a record breaking three inches of water in one hour. HAC offers the following guide as a source of information for individuals and families dealing with direct housing loss and damage from the storm. For more information, please see HAC’s report: Picking up the Pieces: Restoring Rural Housing and Communities After a Disaster and Disaster Response for Rural Communities Guide.
If your house is inaccessible or currently uninhabitable, emergency, transient housing will likely be made available to provide immediate shelter for those in need. Organizations and resources available to assist with emergency transient housing in previous similar disasters include the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Church World Service, Mennonite Disaster Service, and state- and city-run emergency shelters aimed at housing victims of Hurricane. If you are in need of emergency, transient housing, you can text SHELTER and your Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA) to find where the shelter closest to you is located.
FEMA makes available temporary assistance funding available for residents of counties affected by hurricanes. Temporary assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. To see if you are eligible for funding, you can apply online at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ or call FEMA’s toll-free helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA(3362). When applying, make sure to have a pen and paper as well as the following information: your social security number, current and pre-disaster address, a telephone number where you can be contacted, insurance information, total household income, a routing and account number from your bank if you are interested in having disaster assistance funds transferred directly into your bank account, and a description of your losses that were caused by the disaster.
Please keep in mind the following safety protocols for hurricanes and flooding:
This flooding event is a reminder that all residents in this area should carry flood insurance. Contact your insurance agent for more information about purchasing flood insurance or visit the National Flood Insurance Program at www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program or call 1-888-379-9531. Please keep in mind that new insurance policies take 30 days to go into effect.
If your home has experienced damage, remember to check the outside of your home before you enter. Look for loose power lines, broken or damaged gas lines, foundations cracks, missing support beams, or other damage. It may be safest to ask a building inspector of contractor to check the structure before you enter. Do not force jammed doors open, as they may be providing needed support to the rest of the home. Sniff for gas to ensure there are no natural or propane gas leaks. If you do have a propane tank system, make sure to turn off all valves and contact a propane supplier to check the system before you use it again. Check floors and ceilings to ensure they are not sagging from water damage. This can be especially hazardous. Take photographs of any damage as you may need them for insurance claims or FEMA claims later on.
Apply for FEMA Assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. FEMA Disaster Assistance Helpline answers questions about the help offered by FEMA, how to apply for assistance, or the information in your account.
Toll-free helpline: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)
For hearing impaired callers only:
1-800-462-7585 (TTY)
1-800-621-3362 (Video Relay Service)
Operators are multilingual and calls are answered seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET
American Red Cross Disaster Service: For referrals and updates on Red Cross shelter services in your area, locate a local Red Cross office through: https://www.redcross.org/find-help or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767)
The Red Cross helps disaster victims by providing safe shelter, hot meals, essential relief supplies, emotional support and health services like first aid. Trained Red Cross workers often meet one-on-one with families to develop individual plans and identify available resources to help aid recovery.
Louisiana
Louisiana Housing Corporation
2415 Quail Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Phone: (225) 763-8700
Fax: (225) 763-8710
https://www.lhc.la.gov
Mississippi
Mississippi Home Corporation
735 Riverside Drive
Jackson, MS 39202-1166
Phone: (601) 718-4642
Fax: (601) 718-4643
https://www.mshomecorp.com
New Jersey
New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency
637 S Clinton Avenue
Trenton, NJ 08611-1811
Phone: (609) 278-7400
Fax: (609) 278-1754
https://www.njhousing.gov
New York
New York State Homes and Community Renewal
641 Lexington Avenue, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10022-4503
Phone: (212) 688-4000
Fax: (212) 872-0789
http://www.nyshcr.org
Louisiana
Hale Boggs Federal Building
500 Poydras Street
9th Floor
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: (504) 671-3001
Director: Tammy Fowler
Mississippi
Dr. A. H. McCoy Federal Building
100 West Capitol Street
Room 910
Jackson, MS 39269-1096
Phone: (601) 965-4757
Director: Jerrie G. Magruder
New Jersey
Newark Field Office
One Newark Center
1085 Raymond Boulevard
13th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102-5260
Phone: (973) 622-7900
Director: Justin Sheid
New York
Jacob K. Javits Federal Building
26 Federal Plaza
Suite 3541
New York, NY 10278-0068
Phone: (212) 264-8000
Director: Vacant
Louisiana
Diana Smith, Acting State Director
3727 Government Street
Alexandria, LA 71302
Voice: (318) 473-7920
Fax: (844) 325-6949
www.rd.usda.gov/la
Mississippi
Douglas Simons, Acting State Director
Federal Building, Suite 831
100 West Capitol Street
Jackson, MS 39269
Voice: (601) 965-4316
Fax: (601) 965-4088
www.rd.usda.gov/ms
New Jersey
Brandon R. Pfeilmeier, Acting State Director
521 Fellowship Road, Suite 130
Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054
Voice: (856) 787-7700
Fax: (855) 305-7343
www.rd.usda.gov/nj
New York
Brian Murray, Acting State Director
The Galleries of Syracuse
441 South Salina Street, Suite 357
Syracuse, NY 13202-2541
Voice: (315) 477-6400
Fax: (315) 477-6438
www.rd.usda.gov/ny
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency
Voice 601-933-MEMA
24 hour emergency line: 1-800-222-MEMA(6362)
https://www.msema.org/
Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
7667 Independence Boulevard
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Voice: (225) 925-7500
Fax: (225) 925-7501
http://gohsep.la.gov/
New Jersey Office of Emergency Management
http://www.ready.nj.gov/
New York Homeland Security and Emergency Services
http://www.dhses.ny.gov/oem/
As of August 31, there have been more than 5.6 million reported cases of COVID-19, and approximately 101,741 associated deaths in communities outside metropolitan areas. Between August 1 and August 31, communities outside of metropolitan areas reported nearly 700,000 new cases of COVID-19 – a 291 percent increase over the previous 30-day period. There were 5,122 reported deaths associated with COVID-19 in rural communities in August, which represented a 254 percent increase in deaths from July 2021. Communities outside of metropolitan areas accounted for over 19 percent of all COVID deaths and 16 percent of new cases in August. The dramatic increase in rural cases and deaths mimics national trends related to the ascendancy of the more contagious delta variant.
If the coronavirus pandemic has impacted your finances so that you can’t keep up on your rent, utilities, or mortgage payments – or if you are trying to help someone in this situation – this page is for you. It lists resources where you can get advice, information about financial assistance, and more.
Updated August 27, 2021 – On August 26, the Supreme Court invalidated the Centers for Disease Control’s moratorium on evictions. State or local moratoriums are still in effect in some places.
Search for rent and utilities help in this list of over 480 programs across the United States run by states, counties, and cities. The list is also available on this site from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, including notes about which programs are currently taking applications.
If you can’t access either of these lists online, call HUD at 1-800-569-4287 to find a housing counseling agency near you. Then call the housing counseling agency for help finding rent assistance.
This step-by-step guide for people at risk of eviction was prepared by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Some state and local governments have protected residents against eviction. This summary of state and local eviction protections is offered by a legal assistance site, which warns the information can change quickly.
Information about the kinds of help available for renters and advice about what you can do to protect yourself is posted here by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Legal Aid offices can provide free legal assistance to people with low incomes. To find a Legal Aid office, search on this site.
HUD sponsors housing counseling agencies throughout the country that can provide free advice on renting, defaults, foreclosures, credit issues, and buying a home. Services from HUD-certified housing counseling agencies provide unbiased and free information. To find a HUD-certified agency in your area, search this site or call HUD at 1-800-569-4287.
Information for homeowners is collected on this website.
If you have a mortgage from one of the programs in the list below, the lender can foreclose on you because foreclosure moratoriums ended on July 31. But they cannot evict you – moratoriums on evictions of homeowners were extended through September 30.
Information about mortgage forbearance (delayed payments) and other options for homeowners is available from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Information about assistance to help veterans avoid eviction is provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
New Protections for Homeowners with VA Mortgages, Effective July 27 is an article from the National Consumer Law Center.
If you need help because your tenants can’t pay rent, advice and resources are posted on this site by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
If your mortgage is owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (check here and here to find out), contact the bank you send mortgage payments to and request a temporary delay in making payments.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has compiled this website with links to many different kinds of housing help.
Housing Assistance Council
HAC