October 24, 2019

Representative Cindy Axne

United States House of Representatives
330Cannon House Office Building
WashingtonDC20515

On behalf of Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), I urge your support of the Reforming Disaster
Recovery Act of 2019, H.R. 3702. PVA is the nation’s only Congressionally chartered veterans service
organization solely dedicated to representing veterans with spinal cord injuries or disorders. Many PVA
members have been adversely affected by recent natural disasters and this measure ensures that
recovery funds would reach their communities more quickly in the event of future disasters, facilitating
a faster rebuilding process.

Sponsored by Representatives Al Green (D-TX) and Ann Wagner (R-MO), H.R. 3702 was approved in July
with strong bipartisan support by the House Financial Services Committee. It will permanently authorize
the federal government’s principal long-term resource for recovering after a disaster, the Community
Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, and create important safeguards to
make sure that federal disaster recovery efforts extend to the lowest-income disaster survivors.

Through the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act, states will be required to utilize their resources equitably
between housing and infrastructure and among homeowners, renters, and people experiencing
homelessness. Seventy percent of the monies would have to benefit low- and moderate-income
communities which are often the most devastated by disasters. The bill also includes important
transparency provisions to make public information about the impact of every disaster and how
resources are spent in the aftermath. It also prioritizes replacement of affordable housing that is
damaged or destroyed and directs that rebuilding funds are to be used in accord with fair housing
obligations.

Passage of this important legislation is necessary for housing recovery efforts that are transparent,
consistently administered and help those most in need. Please vote to support the Reforming Disaster
Recovery Act.

Sincerely,

Heather Ansley
Associate Executive Director
Government Relations