Officials in Lewes will be taking a look at how to house people after a disaster, with proposed legislation expected this fall.
As part of a pilot program, the city has been working with experts from the University of Delaware, Delaware State Housing Authority, and Delaware Sea Grant on how to handle rebuilding homes after a natural disaster.
At a meeting Monday, Jennifer Reitz with UD’s Biden School of Public Policy and Administration updated city council on efforts to draft a suggested pre-disaster recovery ordinance. That proposal would be part of the city’s code, specifically in the emergency response section, and would create more efficient pathways for residents whose homes are damaged or destroyed to get back into their homes quickly.
Reitz explained that, after a disaster, housing has three stages: sheltering in the early days or weeks, temporary housing for weeks to months after the disaster, and finally, permanent housing. That second stage is where most of the proposed ordinance will focus, she says.
“Research shows that the longer that phase lasts, those impacts psychologically, financially, mentally, can actually be worse than the initial impacts,” she said. “And so when we look at the disaster housing ordinance, that's really where we focused.”
Among the challenges facing the city in pre-disaster planning is an existing shortage of affordable housing and a lack of space for temporary housing. Another issue is the interplay between city regulations and the rules of homeowners’ associations.
“In this case, it's because you have your ordinances and we're working to kind of make them more efficient in allowing interim housing, but how they interact with an HOA regulation and deed restrictions could complicate that,” Reitz said.
The proposed housing recovery ordinance, when it comes before city council, will look at temporary housing through three lenses: temporary housing on a homeowner’s lot like an RV or temporary building, the use of commercial structures like hotels and motels, and group temporary housing.
“There are temporary group sites, again, kind more of the FEMA trailer, the group congregate housing on larger, possibly public sites,” Reitz said.
When it comes to rebuilding, the proposed ordinance will look at streamlining the process of rebuilding a house exactly as it was before a disaster hits, potentially waiving permitting requirements for rebuilding, and reducing or eliminating city fees for construction. Reitz also says the experts will pay close attention to historic homes. She also suggested the possibility of including a temporary development moratorium after a disaster strikes.
“I know moratorium can be a dirty word, but that again is that sense of allowing the city 30 days, 60 days, 90 days to kind of take that step back and think about how rebuilding can proceed in the smartest way,” Reitz explained.
Reitz said that she expects to have a draft ordinance for council members to debate in late October. She also noted that her group might have suggestions for other elements to include in the city’s comprehensive plan.
