Community Associations Institute (CAI) is pleased to announce the introduction of H.R. 834 and the Senate companion, S. 352 to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to provide assistance for common interest communities, condominiums, and housing cooperatives damaged by a major disaster.  

Since we are in a new Congress, this legislation is considered a new bill, and our work begins to start gathering support for the bill by adding Members of Congress to the bill as cosponsors.  Your Members of Congress need to hear from you, their constituents, about why this legislation is important and urge them to sign on as a co-sponsor.  

The legislation makes two major changes to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act: 

• Provides a mechanism for all homeowner associations; including those with private roads to have debris removed by their local municipality through FEMA funding.  This will save homeowners associations with private roads millions of dollars that would otherwise  be paid by the individual homeowners.  
•  Makes essential common elements of a condominium and housing cooperative (such as a roof, exterior wall, heating and cooling equipment, elevator, stairwell, utility access, plumbing, and electricity) eligible under FEMA’s Federal Assistance to Individuals and Households Program; 

Please take a moment to urge your elected officials to co-sponsor these important bills in Congress. Help pass this legislation to bring fairness to disaster relief for community associations today!