April 2023 DEI Committee Blog

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee was joined by Member Lindsay Holman, CEO and Principal of Holman Strategies, LLC for a presentation and discussion about Equity in Disaster Assistance.

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act created the statutory authority for disaster response through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Stafford Act does not define equity, which raises questions regarding what relevant actions FEMA is authorized or required to undertake. However, FEMA recently published a definition of equity that focuses on the fair, just, and impartial treatment of individuals whom the agency serves:

“the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities of color, persons who belong to communities that may face discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity (including members of the LGBTQ+ community); persons with disabilities, persons who may face discrimination based on their religion, national origin and persons with Limited English Proficiency, and persons who live in rural areas that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life.”

How do inequities “show up” in disaster assistance? Inconsistent and unintuitive cost approval exposes significant knowledge gaps and significant administrative barriers associated with access to FEMA assistance. Local governments often require expert consultation to discern complicated policy requirements to determine eligibility. To make matters worse, instances of improper procurement can be financially devastating. This threat deters some of the most vulnerable communities from attempting to access FEMA assistance. FEMA’s National Advisory Counsel has posed recommendations for additional staffing and qualified expertise for regional FEMA offices to more equitably and effectively engage applicants and administer programs. Recent changes to FEMA policies and procedures include defining equity, creating a civil rights advisory group, modifying documentation requirements, and equity-oriented strategic planning.

Holman concluded her presentation with a call for legislative action and a provocation: what would a different approach to disaster recovery funding entail? She named the promise of building on the Treasury’s Covid Relief Funds and State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to demonstrate the effectiveness of block grants for disaster relief that improve equity in access to federal disaster assistance by: (1) simplifying program requirements; (2) expediting financial assistance; (3) decreasing administrative burdens; and (4) awarding funding directly to state, local, tribal and territorial governments.

We welcome all WGR members to join DEI Committee Meetings on the third Tuesday of each month. Register here for the next meeting on May 16 from 11:30 pm - 1:00 pm Eastern Time. For more information on WGR’s DEI Committee, please reach out to dei.wgr@gmail.com.

DEI Committee Co-Vice Chair Larkin Willis authored this month’s blog.