36 CFR Part 1191 ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines for Emergency Transportable Housing Units

Costs

FEMA maintains a baseline target inventory of emergency transportable housing units ready to deploy in response to major disasters and emergencies based on historical usage, lead time to produce additional units, and installation capacity. The baseline target inventory is reassessed at the beginning of each hurricane season and may be readjusted based on operational needs, lessons learned, and on-going analysis. FEMA’s current baseline target inventory is 2,000 units and 298 of the units (approximately 15 percent of the units) are targeted as UFAS compliant.⁴⁶ The actual number of emergency transportable housing units in the inventory varies as FEMA deploys the units to disaster areas and contracts for the production of additional units as needed.

UFAS is the accessibility standard adopted by HUD for residential facilities covered by the ABA. The UFAS compliant units comply with the technical requirements in the final rule for units with mobility features, except for bedroom lighting controls and water spray units at kitchen sinks. FEMA estimated, based on input from companies that produce emergency transportable housing units, that bedroom lighting controls will add $60 and water spray units at kitchen sinks will add $75 to the cost of UFAS compliant units. All the emergency transportable housing units provided by FEMA contain the communication features required by the final rule, including combination smoke alarms and visible notification appliances complying with NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm Code and weather alert systems with audible and visible output. FEMA will not incur additional costs to comply with the technical requirements in the final rule for units with communication features.

We assumed that FEMA will provide bedroom lighting controls and water spray units at kitchen sinks in new UFAS compliant units purchased after the final rule is issued, and will not wait until HUD updates its accessibility standards for residential facilities covered by the ABA to be consistent with the final rule. We estimated the additional costs for FEMA to provide UFAS compliant units with bedroom lighting controls and water spray units at kitchen sinks under three scenarios. The scenarios do not represent actual costs that FEMA will incur each year since the number of UFAS compliant units deployed by FEMA varies from year to year. The scenarios are:

^46. From  footnote 21: FEMA, Recovery Policy (Interim) 9452.1, Temporary Housing Units for Eligible Disaster Victims with a Disability, October 13, 2006 at: http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1819-25045-5130/temporary_housing_units_for_eligible_disaster_victims_with_a_disability__9452.1_.pdf.

1. Average Number of UFAS Compliant Units Deployed per Year by FEMA

FEMA deployed an average of 165 UFAS compliant units per year in response to major disasters and emergencies declared by the President during the period from calendar year 2008 to 2013.⁴⁷ Under the first scenario, we estimated the additional costs if FEMA deploys an average 165 UFAS compliant units per year and replaces the inventory with the same number of UFAS compliant units.

^47. From  footnote 22: We included the data provided by FEMA in the supporting documents for the rulemaking at: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=ATBCB-2012-0004. The data is organized by the calendar year in which the major disaster or emergency was declared. FEMA may have provided the emergency transportable housing units over more than one calendar year in response to a specific major disaster or emergency.

2. Baseline Target Inventory of UFAS Compliant Units Maintained by FEMA

Under the second scenario, we estimated the additional costs if FEMA deploys the 298 UFAS compliant units in its baseline target inventory and replaces them with the same number of UFAS compliant units. These costs may be incurred over more than one year if all the UFAS compliant units in the inventory are not deployed in a single year.

3. UFAS Compliant Units Deployed in Event of Catastrophic Disasters Equivalent to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

FEMA provided approximately 145,000 emergency transportable housing units to the survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.⁴⁸ Under the third scenario, we estimated the additional costs if FEMA deploys the same number of units in the event of catastrophic disasters equivalent to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and 10, 15, or 20 percent of the units are UFAS compliant. These costs may be incurred over more than one year depending on whether the disasters occur in the early part or late part of the year and the time needed to produce large numbers of units.

The additional costs for FEMA to provide UFAS compliant units with bedroom lighting controls and water spray units at kitchen sinks under the three scenarios are shown in Table 1. The additional costs under the first scenario (average number of UFAS compliant units deployed per year) are $22,275. The additional costs under the second scenario (replace baseline target inventory of UFAS compliant units) are $40,230. The additional costs under the third scenario (percentage of UFAS compliant units deployed in the event of catastrophic disasters equivalent to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita) range from $2 million to $4 million depending on whether 10, 15, or 20 percent of the units are UFAS compliant.

The final rule does not allow use of the operable parts exception for electrical outlets in kitchens in emergency transportable housing units with mobility features since they typically have fewer electrical outlets than kitchens in other types of residential dwelling units. Where two or more electrical outlets are provided above a length of countertop that is uninterrupted by a sink or appliance, the exception does not require one of the outlets to comply with the technical requirements for operable parts, including clear floor space, reach ranges, and operation. Kitchen designs vary in emergency transportable housing units. Depending on the kitchen designs, electrical outlets may need to be installed in the face of the base cabinets to comply with the technical requirements for operable parts. FEMA estimated, based on input from companies that produce emergency transportable housing units, that installing electrical outlets in the face of the base cabinets will add from $150 to $500 to the cost of UFAS compliant units. The higher estimate assumes custom cabinetry is needed.

We do not have information on the various kitchen designs used by companies that produce emergency transportable housing units. We estimated the additional costs for not allowing the operable parts exception to be used for electrical outlets in kitchens in emergency transportable housing units with mobility features based on assumptions that 25, 50, and 100 percent of the units provide two or more electrical outlets above a length of countertop that is uninterrupted by a sink or appliance and need to install electrical outlets in the face of the base cabinets to comply with the technical requirements for operable parts. The additional costs for not allowing use of the operable parts exception under the three scenarios described earlier are shown in Table 2 as a range of low and high estimates. The low estimates assume that installing electrical outlets in the face of the base cabinets will add $150 to the cost of UFAS compliant units. The high estimates assume that installing electrical outlets in the face of the base cabinets will add $500 to the cost of UFAS compliant units. The additional costs under the first scenario (average number of UFAS compliant units deployed per year) range from $6,150 to $82,500. The additional costs under the second scenario (replace baseline target inventory of UFAS compliant units) range from $11,250 to $149,000. The additional costs under the third scenario (percentage of UFAS compliant units deployed in the event of catastrophic disasters equivalent to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita) range from $543,750 to $14.5 million depending on whether 10, 15, or 20 percent of the units are UFAS compliant.

The total additional costs to provide bedroom lighting controls and water spray units at kitchen sinks in UFAS compliant units and for not allowing use of the operable parts exception for electrical outlets in kitchens in emergency transportable housing units with mobility features are shown in Table 3 as a range of low and high estimates. The low estimates assume that 25 percent of the units provide two or more electrical outlets above a length of countertop that is uninterrupted by a sink or appliance and need electrical outlets installed in the face of the base cabinets to comply with the technical requirements for operable parts at the additional cost of $150 per unit. The high estimates assume that 100 percent of the units provide two or more electrical outlets above a length of countertop that is uninterrupted by a sink or appliance and need electrical outlets installed in the face of the base cabinets to comply with the technical requirements for operable parts at the additional cost of $500 per unit. The total additional costs under the first scenario (average number of UFAS compliant units deployed per year) range from $28,425 to $104,775. The total additional costs under the second scenario (replace baseline target inventory of UFAS compliant units) range from $51,480 to $189,230. The total additional costs under the third scenario (percentage of UFAS compliant units deployed in the event of catastrophic disasters equivalent to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita) range from $2.5 million to $18.4 million depending on whether 10, 15, or 20 percent of the units are UFAS compliant. 

^48. GAO, Disaster Housing: FEMA Needs More Detailed Guidance and Performance Measures to Help Ensure Effective Assistance after Major Disasters, August 28, 2009 at: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-796.