N.C. Inclusive Disaster Recovery Network, Legal Aid of North Carolina's Disaster Relief Project Issue Public Comment on FEMA Notice
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Thank you for the opportunity to provide comment on
Founded in 2016 following Hurricane Matthew, the North Carolina Inclusive Disaster Recovery Network (NCIDR) is a statewide collaborative of public, private, non-profit, and faith organizations. NCIDR convenes, facilitates, and communicates a united, inclusive vision for
Legal Aid of North
We appreciate
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely yours,
919-766-6519
252-758-0113
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1. Are there
a.
This highlights the overarching need for
b. We are concerned about disparities in assistance to
NCIDR recommends
c. All disasters "start local and end local," and funding priorities should reflect this truism. Funding should prioritize small, community-based organizations that contribute to long-term resilience, as opposed to outside contractors who are transient and unfamiliar with the local context. During Hurricanes Matthew and Florence,
The departure of outside case management contractors leaves long-term recovery groups to continue the work on a largely volunteer basis. We recommend that
NCIDR members' experience is that few organizations are made aware of the contracting process for individual assistance. Our mainstream organizational partners at NC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster report that the bidding process does not seem to be open to everyone. Rather bidding occurs among a few organizations that have previously worked with the state. We recommend releasing information about the contracting for the individual assistance program in a transparent and more equitable way. This might look like intentional outreach to organizations to learn about the process and support them to access the funds if they have the capacity to do it. Intentionally reach out to organizations that provide services to marginalized communities that adapt their missions to provide disaster services (like the
d. We recommend prioritizing hiring and contracting with people and businesses within or adjacent to disaster impacted areas. This targeted investment in the region would allow for quicker community recovery efforts. While disasters by definition overwhelm local response capacity, partnering with nearby businesses and individuals will help bolster long-term recovery by targeting funding within impacted communities. For example, local farmers with working equipment could be contracted to clear the roads and ditches in front of their houses and farms. Yet following Hurricane Florence, NCIDR members reported trucks and equipment brought in from
e. Non-citizen North Carolinians perceive or experience barriers to accessing
f. We are concerned about a lack of programs available to renters.
g. We recommend that
h. Ensuring cultural competency in
Moreover, representatives must be aware of social conflict, cultural norms, or religious holidays when delivering services. For example,
i. Finally, inequitable outreach for FEMA Individual Assistance has continued disproportionate effects in long-term recovery. For example, FEMA Individual Assistance registrations also determine whether
2. Are there
a. No specific comment is provided for this question.
3. Are there
a. No specific comment is provided for this question.
4. Are there
a. Paradoxically, NCIDR members suggest that the initial application for FEMA Individual Assistance is not comprehensive enough. The application does not effectively explain what documentation is needed, which leads to confusion and increased administrative burden later in the process. Survivors may not apply for funding because they perceive the process is a waste of time as they work to reestablish their life following a disaster. This disillusionment may result from an overall low approval rating of
It may also be beneficial to track applicants who start the process, but do not finish to better understand barriers. For example, misinformation regarding potential legal consequences spreads widely, with NCIDR members reporting that residents of
b.
This issue is a regular topic of conversation raised by legal aid and pro bono attorney projects at NCIDR meetings. NCIDR members expressed general confusion over how heir's property is treated in regards to flood insurance that follows property and not individuals. Legal Aid of North
The primary way in which
The only exception that
c. The Individual Assistance flood insurance requirements that follow property rather than people can be a burdensome expense for those on limited and fixed incomes. A
Since then, client was impacted by both Hurricanes Matthew in 2016 and Florence in 2018. The flooding around their home has shifted the foundation, causing the floor joints to start bending inward. The structural integrity of the home is eroding. Client was denied
Increasing the subsidy and lowering the price that individuals must pay to receive flood coverage will make it more likely that they can avoid being denied for
d. NCIDR members call for an appeals process that is independent of the original decision maker. This new process could be modeled on the USDA Farm Service Agency National Appeals Division.
For example, an elderly, Black, Legal Aid client's home was significantly damaged by Hurricane Florence. Despite having a properly recorded deed in her name, she was denied by
5. Are there any
a. Under the Stafford Act,
Under the Stafford Act, there is some
In cases where an SBA application is required, the process has described in conversations convened by NCIDR as "kicking someone that is already down by putting them through a credit process they know they are not going to qualify for." Instead of automatically referring some
Due to the tedious nature of the
6. Does
a. Funding requirements that involve burdensome, often changing, financial documentation excludes less resourced organizations that do not have the paid staff and financial practices in place to produce the required level of documentation. We observe a similar pattern in Individual Assistance, where those with more time and resources have the capacity to navigate bureaucracy. They are, therefore, better able to access benefits. Clarity on priorities and selection criteria up front would save many groups precious resources, particularly if they are not a fit. Tracking geographic and demographic spread of disbursements would help identify excluded communities and provide data to re-prioritize practices that reinforce exclusion.
b.
c. Requirements/paperwork for continued rental assistance are unnecessarily complicated and burdensome, especially for survivors in poverty who may not be living in traditional housing or not under a traditional written lease. These arrangements make it difficult for them to acquire the documentation necessary to satisfy
The amount of information
d. The process for requesting one's
7. Are there
a. We are concerned about
Streamlining benefits and prioritizing coordination between agencies can help make the process easier for all involved.
b. As described in an earlier Legal Aid client story, the technology used by
8. Are there any
a. As discussed above, it is difficult to navigate between SBA and
Clients are being required to apply to SBA even though they will likely be denied before
b.
9. Are there existing sources of data that
a. We recommend increased transparency of funds distributed to infrastructure, service providers, and individuals disaggregated by race, ethnicity, income, and degree of rurality for greater accountability towards the agency's equity objectives. The current OpenFEMA system is not user-friendly for non-academic researchers or community advocates.
View attachment at: https://downloads.regulations.gov/FEMA-2021-0011-0275/attachment_1.pdf
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Footnotes:
1/ A list of the members of the Advocacy Team of the NC Inclusive Disaster Recovery Network is included at the end of this document.
2/ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/07/climate/FEMA-race-climate.html
4/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/07/11/fema-black-owned-property/
6/ NC Broadband Availability Index.
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/1ca29805a2454ffab6b9579702b99e59.
7/ https://scholarship.law.unc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=4957&context=nclr.
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The notice can be viewed at: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FEMA-2021-0011-0001
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