Findings from BPC’s Survey of HUD CDBG-DR Grantees
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BPC developed a survey, in partnership with the Council of State Community Development Agencies, to inform the work of our Disaster Response Reform Task Force and better understand how HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program can better support communities as they recover from devastating and deadly disasters. The survey asked CDBG-DR program grantees, including state and local grant managers, to identify key benefits and difficulties associated with the program, as well as their priorities for reform.
Their responses below are particularly timely as the House of Representatives just recently passed CDBG-DR reform legislation—though on a party line vote—in an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. It is unclear whether the Senate will keep the amendment language in the bill as it works to advance the NDAA. Yet there is significant, bipartisan interest in seeing the CDBG-DR program codified and improved. At the end of 2021, both House and Senate committee held hearings on legislation to permanently authorize CDBG-DR, including S. 2471, the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act introduced by Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Todd Young (R-IN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA).
Officials from Puerto Rico, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York City, and Alaska are just a few of the 36 CDBG-DR grantees that completed the survey—representing a diverse range of disaster-related needs. Overall, survey respondents expressed support for HUD’s role in federal disaster recovery efforts, particularly those focused on housing, but also expressed a distinct need for changes to expedite the recovery process.
Key Takeaways:
- 94% of survey respondents said CDBG-DR funding was very or somewhat important to their state or community’s recovery. No respondents said it was not at all important.
- 69% of survey respondents said that housing has been the most important unmet need that CDBG-DR funding has addressed.
- 86% of survey respondents said it is very or somewhat important for HUD to have an active role in providing disaster assistance.
- 86% of survey respondents somewhat or strongly agreed that HUD is better suited than FEMA to provide medium- and long-term disaster housing assistance.
- 39% of survey respondents said that the most significant delays in the CDBG-DR grant process occur from when a disaster strikes to the initial congressional appropriation.
- “Permanent statutory authorization of the CDBG-DR program” had the strongest support of proposed reforms, with 97% responding that it was very or somewhat important.
- More standardized program forms and templates had the strongest support of proposed HUD reforms, with 94% responding that it was very or somewhat important (and 70% saying it is very important).
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See the survey responses below.
Q1. In your experience, how important has CDBG-DR funding, as opposed to other sources of federal disaster aid, been to your states or community’s recovery?
Responses:
- Very important – 83.3% (30 of 36)
- Somewhat important – 11.1% (4 of 36)
- Not too important – 5.6% (2 of 36)
- Not at all important – 0% (0 of 36)
Q2. CDBG-DR funding can be flexibly used on a wide range of potential activities. In your experience, what unmet need has CDBG-DR funding been most important in addressing?
Responses:
- Housing – 69.4% (25 of 36)
- Public facilities – 11.1% (4 of 36)
- Economic development – 0% (0 of 36)
- Social services – 0% (0 of 36)
- Community planning – 5.6% (2 of 36)
- Other/multiple – 13.9% (5 of 36)
- For reference, alternative responses included:
- Senior services/food service during the pandemic
- Housing, Public Facilities/Infrastructure, and Community Planning – In many cases, one doesn’t happen without the other
- Infrastructure improvements
- Housing and Infrastructure, equally important
- All of the above activities
- For reference, alternative responses included:
Q3. How important, if at all, is it that HUD have an active role in providing disaster assistance?
Responses:
- Very important – 69.4% (25 of 36)
- Somewhat important – 16.7% (6 of 36)
- Not too important – 11.1% (4 of 36)
- Not at all important – 2.8% (1 of 36)
Q4. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Having one federal agency provide all federal disaster aid would help communities in crisis recover more quickly.
Responses:
- Strongly agree – 41.7% (15 of 36)
- Somewhat agree – 22.2% (8 of 36)
- Somewhat disagree – 27.8% (10 of 36)
- Strongly disagree – 8.3% (3 of 36)
Q5. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? HUD is better suited than FEMA to provide medium- and long-term disaster housing assistance.
Responses:
- Strongly agree – 58.3% (21 of 36)
- Somewhat agree – 27.8% (10 of 36)
- Somewhat disagree – 8.3% (3 of 36)
- Strongly disagree – 5.6% (2 of 36)
Q6. HUD officials, CDBG-DR grantees, and other stakeholders have all voiced concerns about program delays. In your opinion, at what stage in the grant process do the most significant delays occur?
Responses:
- Disaster to congressional appropriation – 38.9% (14 of 36)
- Appropriation to HUD funding allocation – 13.9% (5 of 36)
- HUD funding allocation to HUD award – 25.0% (9 of 36)
- HUD award to first expenditure – 19.4% (7 of 36)
- First expenditure to 90% complete – 2.8% (1 of 36)
Q7. Please check which of these recently proposed congressional reforms, in your opinion, would result in more timely, predictable, equitable, or efficient CDBG-DR assistance.
Number and percentage of respondents selecting each proposal
Q8. Please check which of these recently proposed HUD reforms, in your opinion, would result in more timely, predictable, equitable, or efficient CDBG-DR assistance.
Number and percentage of respondents selecting each proposal
Q9. How important, if at all, are these recently proposed congressional reforms to the CDBG-DR program?
Q10. How important, if at all, are these recently proposed HUD reforms to the CDBG-DR program?
Additional comments on CDBG-DR from grantees:
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