FRANKFORT, Ky. – FEMA is seeking information from property management companies with ready-for-occupancy residential or rental properties in or near Kentucky communities affected by the Feb. 14 – March 7 severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides, as well as multi-family properties that can be used as temporary housing.

Property management companies for consideration should be doing business in and around communities impacted by the February storms, to include the counties of Breathitt, Clay, Estill, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, Perry, and Pike, as well as surrounding communities. FEMA encourages all interested property management companies to consider participating.

Interested parties are invited to attend a free online Direct Lease Program and Multi-Family Lease and Repair Program Virtual Industry Day webinar.

The next webinar is scheduled for August 11 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

Please pre-register for this zoom meeting at: https://fema.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_dDDTO-PQRjulK9S5FjC3Rg

What is Direct Lease program?

Direct Lease is a form of Direct Temporary Housing Assistance that allows FEMA to enter into contracts directly with property management companies to lease properties not generally available to the public. Properties must be available for no less than 18 months, with an option for lease extension. The properties will then be offered as temporary housing to eligible disaster survivors. This includes corporate apartments, vacation rentals, secondary homes, bank-owned properties, condominiums, townhouses and other dwellings. FEMA may use these units for eligible applicants who are unable to use rental assistance due to lack of available resources.

What is the Multifamily Lease and Repair program?

Multifamily Lease and Repair (MLR) is a form of temporary housing assistance that allows FEMA to repair or make improvements to existing multifamily rental/residential property for the purpose of providing temporary housing to eligible FEMA applicants. The properties in MLR are to be offered as temporary housing to eligible disaster survivors. The properties must be available for a term of no less than 18 months, with the option of lease extension. The properties should be complexes that are able to accommodate a considerable number of people in a single location. Each property must have been previously used as a multifamily housing complex and contain multiple rental units. Hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, etc. are not considered residential properties and are not authorized for MLR. The site must be repairable to local, state and federal regulations within a four-month period and cannot be located in a floodway.

MLR is not intended to repair or improve individual units to rehouse existing tenants.

​​​​​​​What conditions does the property need to meet for the Direct Lease Program?

The property must be an existing, ready-for-occupancy residential property. Eligible properties (i.e. apartments, rentals, and single-family homes) will be used as temporary housing:

• Hotels, motels and other transient accommodations will not be considered for Direct Lease.
• The property must comply with Housing Quality Standards established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and all relevant state building and occupancy standards and regulations. All utilities, appliances, and other furnishings must be functional.
• Each unit must provide complete living facilities, including provisions for cooking, eating and sanitation within the unit.
• The property must be located within reasonable access to community and wrap-around services, such as accessible public transportation, schools, fire and emergency services, grocery stores, etc.
• All property management companies must register to do business with FEMA through the System for Award Management (SAM) at SAM.gov.

​​​​​​​What conditions does the property need to meet for the Multi-Family Lease and Repair Program?

• All property management companies or owners must register to do business with FEMA through the System for Award Management (SAM) at SAM.gov.
• The property owner must provide all property management services, including building maintenance. 
• The vacant units on the property must be available to be leased 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.
• The property must be in an area with access to community and wraparound services such as accessible public transportation, schools, fire and emergency services, grocery stores, etc.
• Each unit must provide complete and independent living facilities for one or more persons and contain permanent provisions for living, sleeping, cooking and sanitation.
• The property must contain multiple units.
• The property must have been previously used as multifamily housing.
• The property owner must agree to allow FEMA to make reasonable accommodation and/or modification repairs or improvements during the term of the lease without requiring FEMA to remove the improvements at the end of the lease agreement.

What terms or conditions are there for the Direct Lease Program?

• A provision granting FEMA exclusive use of the units and sole discretion to identify and select occupants during the term of the lease agreement.
• A provision granting FEMA the option of releasing the unit to the owner and ceasing all monthly payments for the unit at any time by providing 30 days’ notice.
• A provision allowing FEMA to make, at FEMA’s expense, reasonable modifications or improvements to the property to provide a reasonable accommodation for an eligible applicant with a disability or other access and functional needs.
• A provision allowing FEMA to restore the property to its original condition before any reasonable modifications or improvements as requested by the property owner.
• A provision incorporating a lease addendum containing FEMA’s conditions of eligibility and termination of tenancy and eviction into any lease between the property owner and the occupant.
• A provision agreeing to waive credit screening for eligible applicants.
• A provision allowing FEMA to reassign a vacated unit when eligible applicants need temporary housing assistance, and a unit becomes available before the end of the period of assistance.
• Property owners must provide all building maintenance services.
• Property owners must be current and in good standing with property mortgage payments and have a current rental license.

What other terms or conditions are there for the Multi-Family Lease and Repair Program?

• A provision granting FEMA exclusive use of the units and sole discretion to identify and select occupants during the term of the lease agreement.
• A provision granting FEMA the option of releasing the unit to the owner and ceasing all monthly payments for the unit at any time by providing 30 days’ notice.
• A provision incorporating a lease addendum containing FEMA’s conditions of eligibility and termination of tenancy and eviction into any lease between the property owner and the occupant.
•  A provision agreeing to waive credit screening for eligible applicants.
• A provision allowing FEMA to reassign a vacated unit when eligible applicants need temporary housing assistance, and a unit becomes available before the end of the period of assistance.
• Property owners must be current and in good standing with property mortgage payments and ensure mortgage standing verification is provided as well as proof of ownership.

What information is requested for the Direct Lease Program?

Interested property owners should provide the following information:

• Name of complex, location, owner name and phone number or contact information (if not property owner).
• Number of vacant units containing a separate bathroom, kitchen and living space available for FEMA exclusive use and the number of bedrooms each unit contains.
• Number of units compliant with Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards and/or features that provide accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
• Confirmation the property owner is current and up to date with the property’s mortgage payments.
• Confirmation that the property is readily available for applicants to move in.
• History of the building’s use (dates used as a rental, etc.) if applicable.
• Utilities included in rent.
• Numbers of units fully furnished.
• Rental range for property, including any associated fees.
• Pet restrictions, such as type, number, or size, and applicable pet deposits; and
• Number of parking spaces (including accessible and van-accessible) available for each housing unit.

What information is requested for the Multi-Family Lease and Repair Program?

Interested property owners should provide the following information:

• Name of complex, location, owner name and phone number or contact information (if not property owner)
• Status of property’s mortgage payments.
• Total number of housing units within the property.
• Number of vacant housing units containing a separate bathroom, kitchen, and living space.
• Number of vacant housing units available for FEMA exclusive use.
• Number of vacant housing units compliant with UFAS and/or features that provide accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
• Description of repairs and improvements required to make the housing units habitable.
• Description of repairs currently underway, if applicable.
• Projected length of time required to make the housing units habitable (from execution of the contract).
• Year building was constructed (if known).
• Years the building was used for multifamily housing.
• Rental rates during the last year of operation (state whether utilities were included, and if so, which ones).
• Pet restrictions, such as type, number, or size, and applicable pet deposits; and
• Number of parking spaces (including accessible and van-accessible) available for each housing unit.

Where do I respond to the request for information (RFI)?

• Property owners or management companies must provide responses and comments to FEMA-DR4860KY-Directlease-RFI@fema.dhs.gov for Direct Lease or fema-dr4860ky-mlr-rfi@fema.dhs.gov for Multi-Family Lease and Repair, no later than September 30, 2025.
• More information about this opportunity can be found at SAM.gov. RFI#70FBR425I00000013

The RFI does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP0, Invitation for Bid (IFB), or Request for Quotation (RFQ), and it is not to be construed as a commitment by the government to enter into a contract, nor will the government pay for the information submitted in response to this request. Response to this notification will be used to determine which properties meet the Direct Lease criteria and provide the most timely and cost-effective means of providing direct assistance to eligible disaster survivors. FEMA wants to obtain market information or capabilities for planning purposes.

For more information about Kentucky flooding recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4860. Follow the FEMA Region 4 X account at x.com/femaregion4.