	Grant Programs

As in past disasters, the Secretary of HUD issued a number of waivers to permit local communities to redirect their existing HUD housing and community development grant funds to meet their emergency needs shortly after the storm. Waivers were issued for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program , the HOME Investments Partnerships Program (HOME), the Emergency Shelter Grants Program (ESG), and the Housing for Persons with AIDS Program (HOPWA). Second, for families who were homeless or receiving HUD assistance before the storm, FEMA initially provided funding to HUD, through a mission assignment, to administer the HUD Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program (KDHAP). Disaster Voucher Program . FHA notes that more than 52,000 FHA-insured loans were delinquent due to the storms. CDBG Supplemental Appropriations

Congress enacted several emergency supplemental funding bills following the hurricanes, two of which provided CDBG funds to affected communities. 109-148 , as well as provisions that
required that at least $1 billion of the CDBG amount be used for repair and reconstruction of affordable rental housing in the impacted areas; ensured that each state's plan gives priority to activities that support infrastructure development and affordable rental housing activities; required each state to file quarterly reports with House and Senate Appropriations Committees detailing the use of funds; required HUD to file quarterly reports with the House and Senate Appropriations Committees identifying actions by the department to prevent fraud and abuse, including the duplication of benefits; and prohibited the use of CDBG funds to meet matching fund requirements of other federal programs. Developments

Two important developments related to HUD's role in response to the 2005 hurricanes occurred after the initial response period that is the focus of this report.
The catastrophic devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in late August 2005, and to a lesser degree, Hurricanes Wilma and Rita, led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of families. Following the storm, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) took primary responsibility for meeting the emergency housing needs of displaced families. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the nation's housing agency, also played a role. HUD modified its existing grant programs—primarily through waivers—to make them more flexible for communities wishing to serve displaced families. The department also took steps to aid displaced families that had been homeless or receiving HUD assistance prior to the storm by developing a new voucher program, and by issuing guidance to lenders offering protections for homeowners with FHA-insured mortgages. Finally, Congress has used HUD programs, particularly the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, as a conduit for providing relief and recovery funds to devastated communities. This report details HUD's efforts to provide assistance to affected families and communities immediately after the storm and in the initial rebuilding stages. It will not track HUD's role in the longer-term rebuilding of the devastated areas.