With Tropical Barry stationed off the Gulf Coast, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is reminding Owners and Agents about disaster procedures. Below is the email that went out to O/As Thursday. You will also find links to the documents attached to that email below.
TO: All Owners and Management Agents for
HUD Insured or Assisted Multifamily Properties
SUBJECT: Reminder of Procedures in
the Event of Resident Displacement and/or Property Damage
As Hurricane Michael approaches the Southeast, HUD wants to
remind you of the procedures and tools available for owners and residents
impacted by disasters. This
information will make post-recovery efforts go more smoothly if an event occurs
that impacts your residents and/or your property.
A website has been established with information and guidance
in the event of a storm event or disaster.
The website, Multifamily Housing Guidance for Disaster Recovery,
can be accessed at: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/mfh/disasterguide . For your convenience, Chapter 38: Multifamily
Emergency/Disaster Guidance, from HUD
Handbook 4350.1 is attached to this communication. HUD encourages you to
review this material before an event occurs.
Following an event that impacts residents and/or
properties, HUD has reporting obligations based on information staff obtains
from Owners and Management Agents of HUD insured and/or assisted
properties. Owners and Management Agents are obligated to always immediately
report physical damage to a property interior or exterior that has resulted
from a fire, flood, wind, severe cold, or other natural disaster or weather
event. It is most convenient for all parties if Owners and Agents
proactively report to HUD. Owners are encouraged to complete and forward
damage assessments to HUD. Please use the forms as follows:
For a FEMA Declared Emergency or
Disaster: Preliminary Disaster Assessment (Appendix A-3 of Chapter
38 of Handbook 4350.1.)
For an Event not declared by FEMA: Basic
Damage Assessment
Please forward the appropriate Assessment Form within
24 hours of the damage. Either form should be legibly handwritten and
emailed to:
Updated reports should be submitted as
additional information is available concerning resident displacement or
regarding the level/amount of damage sustained. While the Department is
not a payee on an insurance loss draft for a property with an insured mortgage,
HUD must still be notified of the event and any damage sustained to the
property.
For all properties in the States of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, we request that vacancy data be provided for all properties. The vacancy updates can be sent per property (or per management agent/owner portfolio) to atlantadisasterassistance@hud.gov or damageassessmentsflorida@hud.gov (depending on whether the assets are serviced by the Atlanta or Jacksonville servicing sites). It would be beneficial for the information to be submitted in table or Excel in the following format:
We ask that vacancy updates be provided over the
next day/week and ongoing updates submitted as additional vacancies become
available.
OWNER RESPONSIBILITIES
Owners/agents
are responsible for:
Developing an emergency relocation plan to relocate
residents prior to the storm especially at 202/811 Elderly or Disabled
Properties and nursing homes;
Developing a pre-disaster checklist that is shared with
tenants in case of a disaster;
Ensuring that the property and records are secured and
that residents’ possessions and valuables are secured and protected to the
greatest extent possible.
Contacting FEMA for on-going guidance and instruct
residents to register with FEMA through 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or www.fema.gov.
Applying for assistance with FEMA, Small Business
Administration, Housing Finance Agency and others;
Contacting the local HUD office following a disaster;
Providing a status report for the residents and
property condition;
Ensuring that residents provide EMERGENCY contact
numbers;
Determining the extent of damage, security needs,
resident property protection needs, etc.
Contacting the property’s insurance provider to apply
for property and business interruption claims;
Maintaining inventory of all residents, property, phone
numbers, mailing address, and emails;
Determining which residents have been displaced due to
unit damage or a failure of a major building system such as the electrical
system, etc.; and
Tracking each displaced resident’s temporary location
and maintain contact information for each displaced resident, particularly
if the property will likely have units off-line for more than 30 days.
REMINDER TO OWNERS IN AFFECTED AREAS:
Owners should not evict tenants from their unit in order to
make hurricane related repairs. The
Department encourages you to revisit the instructions provided in Chapter 38 of
Handbook 4350.1 for related Emergency/Disaster Guidance.