Senators Introduce Version of Bill to Make CDBG-DR Program Permanent

Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Todd Young, R-Ind., today introduced legislation to permanently authorize the Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. The Senate version of the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act of 2019 would require a one-for-one replacement of public housing and other federally subsidized rental housing in the case of CDBG-DR funding after natural disasters. The legislation would maintain that at least 70 percent of CDBG-DR funds benefit low- and moderate-income households. The Senate version of the bill adds a few provisions not in the House version, including the creation of an Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilient Communities at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.