FEMA Seeking Residential Properties to Lease for Helene Survivors

FEMA is currently seeking interested, qualified owners or property management companies to help meet the temporary housing needs for disaster survivors by leasing their properties directly to FEMA.

What is Direct Lease?

Direct Lease is a form of Direct Temporary Housing Assistance that allows FEMA to lease existing, ready-to-occupy residential properties for survivors whose temporary housing needs cannot be met with other forms of assistance. FEMA will pay the property management company/vendor the cost of rent, while the survivor is responsible for utility costs and other expenses not covered in the lease.

Does location matter?

Potential property management companies are mainly being sought in western North Carolina within a 30- to up to 60-minute drive of the affected areas or a distance that does not place an undue hardship on the survivor. However, FEMA encourages all interested property management companies to consider participating.

What conditions do properties have to meet?

• All property management companies must register to do business with FEMA through the System for Award Management (SAM) at SAM.gov.
• Companies must lease the vacant units exclusively to FEMA for use as temporary housing for eligible survivors for a term expiring no earlier than 18 months, with the possibility of contract extension.
• Properties must be located within an area included in a major disaster declaration or within a reasonable commuting distance.
• Each property must comply with Housing Quality Standards established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and all utilities, appliances and other furnishings must be functional.
• Each individual unit must provide complete living facilities, including provisions for cooking, eating and sanitation within the unit.
• The properties must be located within reasonable access to community and wrap-around services, such as accessible public transportation, schools, fire and emergency services and grocery stores.
• The property owner must be current with all payments related to the unit, if applicable.

What other terms or conditions are there?

• There are several other terms and conditions that will apply to any agreement between FEMA and property management company/vendor selected for Direct Lease. For a complete list of terms and conditions, property requirements and property identification criteria visit: SAM.gov.

Requested Information: What information is requested?

Interested property owner or management companies are asked to provide the following information:

• Property name, location, property owner name and phone number.
• Number of units (a separate bathroom, kitchen and living space) available for FEMA's exclusive use and the number of bedrooms each unit contains.
• Status of the property's mortgage payments; property owners must be current with mortgage payments.
• Number of vacant units containing a separate bathroom, kitchen, and living space.
• Number of fully furnished units.
• Number of vacant units available for FEMA-exclusive use;
• Number of vacant units compliant with Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) and/or features in unit(s) that provide accessibility for individuals with disabilities;
• Description of repairs and improvements required to make the units habitable.
• Description of repairs currently underway, if applicable.
• Projected length of time required to make units habitable (from execution of lease agreement).
• Date building was originally constructed (if known).
• Dates the building was used as a rental.
• Rental rates during the last year of operation (state whether utilities were included and, if so, which ones).
• Applicable pet restrictions, such as type, number, or size, and pet deposits; and
• Number of parking spaces (including accessible and van-accessible) available for each unit, if applicable.
• Property owner must provide all building maintenance services, except where the property is leased or contracted from another government entity that already includes maintenance service.

Where do I respond to the request for information?

• Interested property owner or management companies must provide responses and comments on or before 5 p.m. EST, November 6, 2024, via email to [email protected]. The email subject line should read: RFI# 70FBR425-DL-DR4827NC
• More information about this opportunity can be found at SAM.gov.

This request for information is not a request for quotes. Responses to this notification will be used to determine which properties meet direct lease criteria and provide the timeliest, most cost-effective means of providing direct assistance to eligible disaster survivors. FEMA wants to obtain market information or capabilities for planning purposes.

Responses to this notice for information are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.

For the latest information about North Carolina's recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4827. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.