The changes make it easier for households facing evacuation to access relocation funds.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is making changes to its disaster assistance program that aim to expand immediate cash payments to people affected by natural disasters and assist households who face financial barriers to evacuation, reports Willy Blackmore in Word In Black.
Evacuation can often be costly for families: “when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017, researchers found that it cost households $1200, on average, to ride out the storm elsewhere (including lost wages) — more, if they didn’t have a free place to stay and had to sleep in a hotel. The FEMA payments, however, are only $750 per household.”
The new rules call for providing up-front assistance for various types of housing options, including rental housing and the cost of staying with family or friends. “If a lack of cash makes it difficult to get out before a storm, the long-term effects on the housing market are what often force people away for good — the new disaster assistance program could at least help mitigate that somewhat.”
FULL STORY: New Disaster Assistance May Make it Easier for Black People to Evacuate

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.

Making Mobility More Inclusive
A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.

Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
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