DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, AND RECOVERY

When a disaster strikes, our health care, human services, homelessness, and affordable housing systems are challenged to ensure that vulnerable populations maintain their health, safety, housing, employment, and other needed supports. The unique needs of these populations require the involvement of multiple disciplines at all levels. TAC’s subject matter experts have worked within and on behalf of these systems at the federal, state, and local levels through many different crises: 

• COVID-19, including planning and response in states like Louisiana and Virginia
• Recovery in communities hit by hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Sandy, and Matthew
• Wildland fire recovery in Butte County, California
• State agency planning in the H1N1 pandemic of 2009
• Evacuation planning, response, and shelter operations following the Haiti earthquake in 2010

TAC is able to provide expert technical assistance and consultation on disaster-related activities such as:

• Facilitating partnerships among federal, state, and local government agencies
• Informing preparedness planning with local homelessness and disability service providers, public health agencies, first responders, and government agencies
• Identifying and planning for coordination of federal, state, local, and other funding sources
• Offering specialized expertise in the use of federal funding to address homelessness and affordable housing needs, such as Emergency Shelter Grants, Community Development Block Grants, Housing Choice Vouchers, and Mainstream voucher funding
• Providing guidance to state Medicaid agencies on what to include in 1135 or 1115 emergency waiver applications to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
• Planning and facilitating community meetings with stakeholders and government officials

For more information, contact Nicole LiBaire, Disaster Team Lead at nlibaire@tacinc.org, or Kevin Martone, Executive Director at kmartone@tacinc.org.