HR 834 — Disaster Assistance Fairness Act

Summary

Disaster Assistance Fairness ActThis bill makes common interest communities, such as housing cooperatives (co-ops) and condominiums, and manufactured housing communities eligible for the same assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as other homeowners.Specifically, the billadds definitions of residential common interest community, condominium, housing cooperative, and manufactured housing community to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act;requires FEMA to issue rules for the removal of debris or wreckage from real estate owned by a residential common interest community, condominium, co-op, or manufactured housing community resulting from a major disaster and deems such removal to be in the public interest when a state or local government determines in writing that such debris or wreckage constitutes a threat to life, public health or safety, or the economic recovery of such community; andprovides for the repair of essential common elements of a condominium, co-op, or manufactured housing community damaged by a disaster under FEMA's Individuals and Households Program.

Bill Text

• Introduced Introduced in House Current html January 31, 2025

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill amends existing law to include definitions and provisions for assistance to residential common interest communities, condominiums, and housing cooperatives affected by major disasters.

• 42 U.S.C. 5122

  (13) Residential common interest community.--The term `residential common interest community' means any nonprofit mandatory membership organization comprising owners of real estate described in a declaration or created pursuant to a covenant or other applicable law with respect to which a person, by virtue of the person's ownership of a unit, is obligated to pay for a share of real estate taxes, insurance premiums, maintenance, or improvement of, or services or other expenses related to, common elements, other units, or any other real estate other than that unit described in the declaration.

  Adds a definition for 'residential common interest community'.

• 42 U.S.C. 5122

  (14) Condominium.--The term `condominium' means a multi-unit housing project in which each dwelling unit is separately owned, and the remaining portions of the real estate are designated for common ownership solely by the owners of those units, each owner having an undivided interest in the common elements, and which is represented by a condominium association consisting exclusively of all the unit owners in the project, which is, or will be responsible for the operation, administration, and management of the project.

  Adds a definition for 'condominium'.

• 42 U.S.C. 5122

  (15) Housing cooperative.--The term `housing cooperative' means a multi-unit housing entity in which each dwelling unit is subject to separate use and possession by 1 or more cooperative members whose interest in such unit, and in any undivided assets of the cooperative association that are appurtenant to such unit, is evidenced by a membership or share interest in a cooperative association and a lease or other document of title or possession granted by such cooperative as the owner of all cooperative property.

  Adds a definition for 'housing cooperative'.

• 42 U.S.C. 5122

  (16) Manufactured housing community.--The term `manufactured housing community' means a residential development or neighborhood specifically designed for the placement of manufactured homes, as that term is defined in 24 C.F.R. 3280.02, modular homes, prefabricated homes, or any combination of each.

  Adds a definition for 'manufactured housing community'.

• 42 U.S.C. 5173

  (d) Rules Relating to Residential Common Interest Communities.--The President shall issue rules which provide that removal of debris or wreckage from real estate owned by a residential common interest community, condominium entity, manufactured housing community, or housing cooperative resulting from a major disaster is in the public interest when a State or local government determines in writing such debris or wreckage constitutes a threat to life, to public health or safety, or to the economic recovery of the residential common interest community.

  Establishes rules for debris removal from residential common interest communities after a disaster.

• 42 U.S.C. 5174(c)(2)(A)

  and → and the repair of essential common elements of a condominium, manufactured housing community, or housing cooperative (such as a roof, exterior wall, heating and cooling equipment, elevator, stairwell, utility access, plumbing, and electricity) provided an individual's or household's pro rata share of essential common element repair costs are satisfactorily documented;

  Expands eligibility for assistance to include repair of essential common elements in condominiums and housing cooperatives.

Action History

1. January 31, 2025

   Introduced in House

2. January 31, 2025

   Introduced in House

3. January 31, 2025

   Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

4. February 01, 2025

   Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

Sponsors

• David Rouzer · Primary
• Ritchie Torres · Cosponsor
• Jerrold Nadler · Cosponsor
• Brittany Pettersen · Cosponsor
• Byron Donalds · Cosponsor
• Eleanor Holmes Norton · Cosponsor
• W. Gregory Steube · Cosponsor
• Joe Neguse · Cosponsor
• Nellie Pou · Cosponsor
• Eugene Simon Vindman · Cosponsor
• Debbie Wasserman Schultz · Cosponsor

Subjects