ACF Post-Disaster Housing Resources

ACF Post-Disaster Housing Resources

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ACF Post-Disaster Housing Resources

This fact sheet is intended for emergency managers and service providers seeking resources to help individuals, families, and communities with post-disaster housing. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) administers the four programs below that provide funding that may be used for post- disaster housing support. This support is subject to specific program requirements, depends upon the particular circumstances of the situation, and varies by grant recipient.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

LIHEAP primarily assists households with low incomes in meeting home energy needs. When a disaster occurs, LIHEAP funding may be used to assist LIHEAP-eligible households with crisis assistance.

LIHEAP post-disaster housing support may include:

  • Heating/cooling centers
  • Temporary shelter or housing individuals in hotels, apartments, or other living situations in which homes have been destroyed or damaged, in order to place people in settings to preserve health and safety and to move them away from the crisis situation
  • Utility reconnection cost, utility deposit, and repair or replacement of furnace/air conditioner

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

TANF’s non-recurrent, short-term (NRST) benefits can help to address a specific crisis situation for up to 4 months with aid that is not for ongoing needs. Work requirements and time limits typically associated with TANF do not apply to NRST benefits. 

TANF post-disaster housing support may include:

  • Hotel and motel vouchers
  • Rental/mortgage assistance
  • Security and utility payments
  • Moving assistance
  • Housing search and placement services

Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)

CSBG provides funding for anti-poverty services, including housing. Community Action Agencies (CAAs) assist families with low incomes, including those affected by a disaster, with a continuum of economic mobility services largely determined by each CAA’s community needs assessment. Given the flexibility of CSBG funding during and after a disaster, CAA’s can reassess community needs to best serve families in crisis.

CSBG post-disaster housing support may include:

  • Hotel and motel vouchers
  • Cooling centers
  • Referrals to temporary shelters
  • Access to facilities for urgent needs such as access to internet and power, kitchens, rest/napping areas, bathrooms, and laundry
  • Rental/mortgage assistance

Social Services Block Grant (SSBG)

SSBG allows states and territories to tailor social services, including housing, to their population’s needs. States and territories can use SSBG in a flexible way to address the needs of individuals, families, and communities during response and recovery.

SSBG post-disaster housing support may include:

  • Services to locate, obtain, or retain suitable housing
  • Rental and mortgage assistance not reimbursed by FEMA,