There is a Disaster Relief Housing Program within the Department of Housing and Community Development.

The purpose of the Program is to provide financial assistance in an area covered by a state of emergency declared under § 14–107 of the Public Safety Article or in a federally declared disaster area to rehabilitate or replace a primary residence to: a family whose primary residence was damaged or destroyed by the disaster; and a nonprofit entity that assists a family in rehabilitating and replacing a primary residence destroyed by the disaster. The Department may continue to provide financial assistance under this subtitle after the expiration of a state of emergency declared under § 14–107 of the Public Safety Article.

The Department may provide financial assistance under the Program utilizing funds from: any fund or program under Division I of this article; or any other source of funds available to the Department. The Department may provide any type of financial assistance permitted by Division I of this article to recipients under the Program. In addition to the type of financial assistance allowed under subsection (b) of this section, the Department may provide financial assistance under a buy–down program that reduces the amount a borrower pays on a loan obtained from the private market or from the Department for a defined period of time.

The Secretary shall adopt regulations, guidelines, and eligibility requirements for implementing the Program. The guidelines and eligibility requirements may be different for each disaster. The Secretary shall establish income limits for the Program in connection with each disaster. The eligibility requirements of any State fund or program from which funds are utilized for providing financial assistance, including maximum income limits, may not apply to financial assistance provided to recipients under the Program. Repayments of financial assistance under the Program shall be paid to the source of funds that was used to provide the financial assistance.

The Department shall issue to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article: a preliminary report 6 months after the Program is initially activated for each disaster; and a final report on or before 18 months after the Program is initially activated for each disaster. The reports shall include: the amount and type of assistance provided; the counties in which the assistance was provided; and the names of any financial institutions that provided assistance under the Program.