Congress creates permanent disaster recovery fund, prioritizing low-income housing
H.R. 8291 — Reforming Disaster Recovery Act · Filed by Al Green (D-TX) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Apr 15, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill creates a dedicated federal fund for long-term disaster recovery housing and community development, administered by HUD. It establishes a formula-based grant program that directs money to states, local governments, and tribes in areas most damaged by catastrophic disasters, with at least 70% of funds required to benefit low- and moderate-income households. The bill emphasizes mitigation, affordable housing restoration, and resilience planning alongside immediate recovery needs.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is establishing a dedicated, formula-allocated federal fund for post-disaster housing, infrastructure, and mitigation assistance to low-income communities. This is its primary and stated purpose, executed through amendments to the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.
What the text implies
- The bill grants HUD Secretary broad waiver authority (Section 6, subsection (k)) to override statutory and regulatory requirements, subject only to a 5-day public notice period and a 'good cause' finding. This could allow rapid deviation from the 70% low-income benefit floor or other protections if the Secretary deems it necessary.
- Data-sharing provisions (Section 8) authorize transfer of personally identifiable information from FEMA and SBA to HUD and then to grantees and lenders without explicit individual consent, relying on Privacy Act matching agreements. This creates privacy exposure for disaster survivors, though safeguards are nominally required.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
State and local governments (primary grantees); Indian tribes (primary grantees); Affordable housing developers and nonprofits (indirect, through grant-funded activities)