Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act

Expanded Assistance Eligibility: The bill allows the President to consider an individual or household's claim of "constructive ownership" when they do not have documented ownership rights in their primary residence (Section 3(a)(1)). This could help families who occupy homes without traditional deeds or titles.

Flexible Evidence Requirements: The Administrator is directed to consider a wide variety of evidence to establish ownership, such as mortgage booklets, property tax receipts, homeowners insurance, or even receipts for major repairs (Section 3(a)(2)). This provides multiple ways for people to prove their connection to a property.

Simplified Declarative Process: If evidence is insufficient, individuals may provide a signed statement under penalty of perjury to describe their constructive ownership, and the Administrator is prohibited from requiring that this statement be notarized (Section 3(a)(3)).

Broader Housing Assistance Criteria: By amending the language from "rendered uninhabitable" to "damaged by a major disaster," the bill expands the scope of who can receive housing assistance (Section 4(a)).

Discretionary Determination: The determination of "constructive ownership" is left to the discretion of the Administrator (Section 3(b)), which means assistance is not guaranteed and depends on their determination that a residence is owner-occupied.

Burden of Proof: While the bill provides a list of evidence, the individual or household is still responsible for providing documentation to link themselves to the property (Section 3(a)(2)).