H.R. 834: Disaster Assistance Fairness Act

This 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 bill

• adds 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; and
• provides 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.

Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.