NITA M. LOWEY, NEW YORK, CHAIRWOMAN

MARCY KAPTUR, OHIO

PETER J. VISCLOSKY, INDIANA

JOSE E. SERRANO, NEW YORK

ROSA L. DELAURO. CONNECTICUT
DAVID E. PRICE. NORTH CAROLINA
LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD. CALIFORNIA
SANFORD D. BISHOP. JR., GEORGIA
BARBARA LEE, CALIFORNIA

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3301133 
m1 appropriations
Washington, 130: 20515?0015

CHELLIE PINGREE, MAINE

MIKE QUIGLEY. ILLINOIS

DEREK KILMER, WASHINGTON

MATT CARTWRIG HT, 
GRACE MENG, NEW YORK

MARK POCAN, WISCONSIN

KATHERINE M. CLARK. MASSACHUSETTS
PETE AGUILAR, CALIFORNIA

LOIS FRANKEL, FLORIDA

CHERI BUSTOS, ILLINOIS September 5, 2019
BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN, NEW JERSEY

BRENDA L. LAWRENCE, MICHIGAN

NORMA J. TORRES. CALIFORNIA

CHARLIE CRIST, FLORIDA

ANN KIRKPATRICK. ARIZONA

ED CASE, HAWAII

The Honorable Ben Carson

Secretary

US. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street SW.

Washington, DC 20410

Dear Mr. Secretary:

KAY GRANGER, TEXAS

HAROLD ROGERS, KENTUCKY
ROBERT B. ADERHOLT, ALABAMA
MICHAEL K. SIMPSON, IDAHO
JOHN R. CARTER, TEXAS

KEN CALVERT, CALIFORNIA

TOM COLE, OKLAHOMA

MARIO DIAZ-BALART, FLORIDA
TOM GRAVES, GEORGIA

STEVE WOMACK. ARKANSAS
JEFF FORTENBERRY, NEBRASKA
CHUCK FLEISCHMANN, TENNESSEE
JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER, WASHINGTON
DAVID P. JOYCE, OHIO

ANDY HARRIS, MARYLAND
MARTHA ROBY, ALABAMA

MARK E. AMODEI. NEVADA

CHRIS STEWART, UTAH

STEVEN M. PALAZZO, MISSISSIPPI
DAN NEWHOUSE, WASHINGTON
JOHN R. MOOLENAAR, MICHIGAN
JOHN H. RUTHERFORD. FLORIDA
WILL HURD, TEXAS

 

SHALANDA YOUNG
CLERK AND STAFF DIRECTOR
(202) 225?2771

This month marks the second anniversary of the landfall of Hurricanes Maria and Irma. It also

marks one year since the landfall of Hurricane Florence. Yet, despite supplemental

appropriations approved by Congress and enacted into law to help states and territories recover,
the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has yet to make this funding

available for necessary recovery and mitigation efforts.

This delay is especially concerning with respect to affected grantees impacted by Hurricanes
Maria and Irma. More than 18 months have passed since Congress provided supplemental
disaster relief for these grantees under the Community Development Block Grant?Disaster Relief
program. Meanwhile, nearly 11 months have passed since Congress provided additional relief
for grantees impacted by Hurricanes Florence and Michael, wildfires, and other major disasters.

In response, Congress included a provision (Section 1 102) in the Additional Supplemental
Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2019 (P.L. 1 into law by the President on
June 6, 2019?requiring you to publish allocations and administrative requirements for
mitigation activities for all eligible grantees included in P.L. 115-123 (this includes states and
territories impacted by Maria and Irma) within 90 days. The 90-day period expired on

September 4, 2019.

On August 30, 2019, the Department published allocations and administrative requirements for
California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and

West Virginia in the Federal Register. On September 4, 2019, HUD posted a subsequent notice
for the US. Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico was not included in either notice. By failing to publish

administrative requirements for all eligible grantees on or before September 4, the Department
violated the requirements of Section 1102.

The Transportation, Housing and Urban DeveIOpment and Related Agencies subcommittee will
be holding a hearing on this matter in the coming weeks. Please work with my staff to make
appropriate witnesses available.

Sincerely,

 

?J?a

Nita M. Lowey David E. Price
Chairwoman Chairman
Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation,

Housing and Urban Development
and Related Agencies