HousingWireHousingWire
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) this week announced the allocation of $2.48 million in new disaster recovery funds, which will be distributed to three states and one city to “assist Americans impacted by recent hurricanes and severe storms,” according to the announcement.
The funds are being distributed under the department’s Rapid Unsheltered Survivor Housing (RUSH) program.
RUSH grants are “made to states or local governments to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness who have been residing in a ‘declared disaster area’ and have needs that are not otherwise served or fully met by existing federal disaster relief programs,” according to a since-deleted information sheet previously available on the HUD Exchange website.
“Today’s RUSH funding underscores the administration’s commitment to helping individuals and families in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and have needs not fully met by existing federal disaster relief programs,” said HUD Secretary Scott Turner in a statement.
In addition to funding for the three states, the city of Houston was also a funding recipient. Turner lauded the RUSH program, particularly since it targets relief on homelessness stemming from disasters.
“While many of our nation’s federal disaster programs help Americans return to their homes or rebuild a home in the wake of natural disasters, HUD’s RUSH program ensures we fill the gap of unmet needs for individuals experiencing homelessness in a disaster area,” he said.
He added that these three states require additional recovery support, and that HUD will “continue to prioritize disaster recovery efforts as we uplift vulnerable Americans impacted by disasters through no fault of their own.”
Two-step allocation process
The total RUSH allocations for all four jurisdictions now sits at $11.4 million, HUD said. The allocations have come in a two-step process, though the first step — distributed last year — was much larger in all four areas.
“In 2024, the state of Texas and the City of Houston received the initial allocation in response to severe storms and Hurricane Beryl, and the states of North Carolina and South Carolina received initial allocations in response to Tropical Storm/Hurricane Helene,” HUD explained.
In the first step, North and South Carolina received $3 million in RUSH funding each, while Texas received just over $1.8 million and Houston received $1 million.
In this second step, North Carolina is the largest recipient with just over $1.9 million. South Carolina received just over $162,000, Texas received just under $219,000 and Houston received just under $194,000.
