Moore introduces bill to improve transparency in disaster relief

On April 17, US Rep. Tim Moore, R-NC14, introduced bipartisan legislation in partnership with Rep. Cleo Fields, D-LA6, to bring clarity and insight to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the allocation of disaster relief and mitigation funding.

I just introduced bipartisan legislation, alongside @RepFields, to bring real transparency to how HUD distributes disaster relief funding.

After Hurricane Helene, it’s clear we need answers and accountability. Folks deserve to know how these decisions are made ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/d3HMdPvJ13

— Congressman Tim Moore (@RepTimMooreNC) April 17, 2025

These funds are allocated 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 Moore in a press release. “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.”

This bill mandates that HUD submit an annual report to Congress outlining the methodology used to allocate CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT funds. An initial report will cover allocations from the past two years; subsequent reports will provide annual updates.

The sponsors believe enhancing transparency will enable Congress and the public to assess how federal disaster relief is distributed, how resources are determined, and whether communities are being treated equally. HUD is not currently obligated to adhere to a standardized formula for distributing CDBG disaster funds, which can result in potential funding disparities across states and disaster events.

Recently, HUD Secretary Scott Turner shut down a program in Buncombe County funded through the Community Development Block Grant. This program distributed disaster relief funding to Helene victims based on DEI qualifications, prioritizing non-white recipients rather than prioritizing recipients based on need. 

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