HUD used FEMA IHP program data on housing-unit damage as of February 10, 2022, to calculate unmet needs for housing for 2020 and 2021 qualifying disasters. HUD generally calculates damage estimates for unmet needs at least 60 to 90 days after the disaster is declared a major disaster to allow sufficient time for the vast majority of FEMA and SBA housing inspections to be completed.
The core data on housing damage for both the unmet housing needs and concentrated damage calculations are based on home inspection data for FEMA's IHP program and SBA's disaster loan program. HUD calculates unmet housing needs” as the number of housing units with unmet needs times the estimated cost to repair those units less repair funds already provided by FEMA, SBA, and insurance.
Each of the FEMA inspected owner-occupied units are categorized by HUD into one of five categories:
- Minor-Low: Less than $3,000 of FEMA inspected real property damage.
- Minor-High: $3,000 to $7,999 of FEMA inspected real property damage.
- Major-Low: $8,000 to $14,999 of FEMA inspected real property damage and/or 1 to 3.9 feet of flooding on the first floor.
- Major-High: $15,000 to $28,800 of FEMA inspected real property damage and/or 4 to 5.9 feet of flooding on the first floor.
- Severe: Greater than $28,800 of FEMA inspected real property damage or determined destroyed and/or 6 or more feet of flooding on the first floor.
Resource: Methods for Estimating Serious Unmet Needs for Housing