Congressman Tim Moore Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Transparency in HUD Disaster Recovery Funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Tim Moore (NC-14) introduced the Disaster Relief Transparency Act, a bipartisan bill co-led by Rep. Cleo Fields (LA-06), to bring greater clarity and oversight to how the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocates disaster relief and mitigation funds through the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) programs.

“Hurricane Helene taught us that the way federal disaster relief funds are distributed and overseen needs serious improvement,” said Congressman Moore. “Families in Western North Carolina were left waiting without answers, and there was no clear explanation for how decisions were made. This bill shines a light on that process so we can hold HUD accountable and make sure help gets to the communities that need it most.” 

Specifically, this legislation will require HUD to submit an annual report to Congress detailing the methodology used to allocate CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT funds. The first report must cover allocations from the previous two years, and each subsequent report will provide an annual update.

This increased transparency will allow Congress and the public to evaluate how federal resources are being distributed and whether communities are being treated fairly in times of crisis. Currently, HUD is not required to follow a consistent formula when awarding CDBG disaster funds, leaving room for inconsistent funding across states and disasters. 

Read the full text of the bill HERE.