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Bipartisan Housing Bill Nears Enactment, Making Disaster Recovery Program Permanent
Congress passed the measure last month with President Trump's endorsement. The bill converts HUD's Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program into a standing federal initiative after years of ad hoc funding.
Jul 10, 11:45 AM·1m read1 source
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Congress passed a major bipartisan housing bill last month that includes a provision converting the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program into a permanent federal initiative. The program has distributed more than $100 billion to disaster areas over recent decades.
President Donald Trump endorsed the legislation during its passage but stated he will not sign it because Congress has not passed voting restrictions.
If he does not veto the bill, it becomes law at the end of today. Congress holds sufficient votes to override any veto. The change ends the requirement for lawmakers to approve new investments after each disaster, a process that previously took months or years.
Stan Gimont, a former HUD official who oversaw the program under the Obama and first Trump administrations, said the authorization should allow disaster recovery funding to move more quickly. The bill's main provisions address housing shortages, yet the disaster grant section received less attention.
Without permanent status, the department also faced repeated federal rulemaking and environmental reviews that delayed projects in affected communities.
