“With PolicyMap, we were able to show on a very granular basis how scarce housing is in certain jurisdictions – that visual representation of the housing shortage was very helpful and meaningful in making the case for FEMA funding.” Dhathri Chunduru, Director, Research & Planning
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Challenge

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene devastated Tennessee, leaving countless communities in dire need of disaster recovery funding. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) quickly exhausted its resources and encouraged local jurisdictions to apply for additional funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). To qualify, jurisdictions needed to provide granular evidence of the storm’s impact on their specific community and demonstrate their inability to recover without federal aid. Already a PolicyMap subscriber, the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) quickly realized that the platform’s data visualization capabilities could play a pivotal role in addressing this urgent need.

Solution

PolicyMap was an essential tool in THDA’s disaster recovery efforts, enabling the agency to access reliable local data and generate compelling visualizations needed for FEMA applications. By mapping housing scarcity, homelessness rates, and other key indicators across six affected counties, THDA provided strong evidence to support its funding requests.

Even with an in-house GIS team, the rapid collection, processing, and presentation of data would not have been possible without PolicyMap. The efficiency gained from the platform allowed THDA to compile and deliver critical data within hours, meeting tight deadlines.

We are thrilled to report that THDA secured FEMA funding in under 36 hours, securing much-needed relief for affected communities. PolicyMap sends its heartfelt wishes for a speedy and full recovery to all the communities affected by Hurricane Helene.