Washington, D.C. – Congressman Kevin Mullin (CA-15) introduced the Weatherization Resilience and Adaptation Program (WRAP) Act, to provide financial assistance to low-income homeowners and affordable housing providers to adapt their property to be more resilient to disasters and extreme weather driven by climate change.

“In California, we’ve experienced an alarming increase in severe weather and climate-driven disasters. Just this year, extreme storms, known as atmospheric rivers, damaged hundreds of homes and properties in my district,” Mullin said. “Before disaster strikes, we need to take action to protect the most vulnerable in our communities by helping them adapt their home to withstand the changing climate. My bill would specifically help low-income homeowners, affordable housing providers, and manufactured home communities, often referred to as mobile homes, get financial assistance to weatherize their property. No one should have to live storm-to-storm, wondering if the next incident will be the one to destroy their home beyond what they can afford to repair.”

Specifically, the bill would:

• Create a grant program administered by states and Tribal governments to provide direct assistance to low-income property owners, affordable housing property owners, and the owners of manufactured home communities in adapting and making their property more resilient to disasters.
• Require states and Tribal governments administering this program to conduct outreach to educate households on how they can make structural improvements to their homes and property.
• Direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop and publish dwelling and property resilience and adaptation standards, which would provide guidance to states on what activities may be funded under the program.

The bill has been endorsed by Earthjustice, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Climate Resilient Communities, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Taproot Earth, and Citizens’ Climate Lobby San Mateo County Chapter.

The legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Shontel Brown (OH-11), Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Anna Eshoo (CA-16), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Barbara Lee (CA-12), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Scott Peters (CA-50), Katie Porter (CA-47), Adam Schiff (CA-30), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), and Rashida Talib (MI-12). 

A copy of the bill text can be found here.

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