Streamline Federal Disaster Funding Approvals, AARP Tells Congress

Communities working to rebuild after hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters often wait months for Congress to approve federal funding that can help. AARP endorsed federal legislation this month to cut the red tape and speed recovery efforts. 

The bipartisan Reforming Disaster Recovery Act, sponsored by U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), would permanently authorize federal funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 

Currently, every disaster requires a new act of Congress to appropriate funding under HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program, which provides states, tribes and local governments with federal assistance to rebuild housing and infrastructure.

This adds “months of delays when time is of the essence,” wrote Bill Sweeney, AARP senior vice president for government affairs, in a June 13 letter supporting the bill. He noted that it can take an additional five months for communities to have the funding in hand. 

“The longer it takes for the federal government to deliver resources, the harder it is for the survivors to put their lives back together,” Sweeney wrote. 

Older adults are more likely to die during natural disasters because of factors such as limited mobility and chronic health conditions. Those who survive can suffer lasting physical, mental and economic effects, we told federal lawmakers. 

As extreme weather continues to occur with greater frequency, AARP is making it a legislative priority to help older adults stay safe during and after these emergencies. This spring, for example, we helped pass legislation in Florida to help coastal residents strengthen their homes against hurricanes. 

With the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), we created the AARP Disaster Resilience Toolkit to help government leaders and communities reduce the risk to older adults.

Read our latest endorsement letter and learn more about how to prepare for extreme weather and what to do after disaster strikes.