During GMA’s Annual Convention, the Federal Policy Council (FPC) met with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 4 Administrator Rob Ashe to discuss emergency management coordination with Georgia cities. The group also heard from legislative staff in Senator Raphael Warnock’s office.
Disaster Recovery and Hurricane Season Preparedness
Regional Administrator Ashe has served as Acting Region 4 Administrator since June 2025 and was just recently made permanent. As GMA’s number one federal advocacy priority over the past year, it was important for cities to hear directly from the agency’s leadership as a new hurricane season begins. He started the presentation acknowledging the dire situation many Georgia cities faced in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and provided an update as to where public assistance stands in the state. Since January 1, 2026, FEMA has obligated $507 million to Georgia for disaster recovery projects and $12.5 million for hazard mitigation projects.
He briefed the group on how to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, pointing to how investments in mitigation and preparedness before disaster strikes go a long way during the recovery process. On this note, he shared best practices for cities as they prepare their infrastructure, budgets, and lines of communication with GEMA and FEMA. He urged cities to take advantage of federal and state disaster mitigation funding and assured preparedness funding will be prioritized going into the future.
In terms of the future of the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA under the new leadership of Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the Regional Administrator shared his encouragement with the new direction of the agency. Since the recently released recommendations from the White House FEMA Review Council deal with policy change, he wasn’t able to speak to the report directly, although he agreed that changes beyond the agency’s control were necessary. He did speak to the administrative and cultural changes he’s championed internally and was adamant about the need for Congressional action that could solve more fundamental issues with how the agency operates and partners with local governments.
On the Q&A portion of the presentation, FPC members reiterated their concerns with delayed disaster recovery reimbursements and the detrimental impact it had on their city’s budgets. They asked what the Region 4 office is doing to ensure this never happens again. The Regional Administrator assured that he is working with his team to address staff turnover, improve communication continuity, and provide greater assistance for those with initial project denials.
Although keeping our Senate and Congressional offices informed is crucial, Administrator Ashe urged the group to secure a direct line of communication with the Region 4 office when dealing with outstanding disaster recovery and related issues.
If city officials don’t already have a point of contact within FEMA or with Senate and Congressional offices, GMA's Federal Relations Manager Molly McLoughlin is able to help facilitate communication with both parties.
Warnock Office Briefs on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
Tyler Hoffman-Reardon, Legislative Assistant with Senator Raphael Warnock’s office, provided a briefing to the FPC on the recently passed 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and what it means for Georgia cities. He commended GMA’s persistent advocacy supporting the legislation within Georgia’s congressional delegation and highlighted the portions of the bill that Sen. Warnock led on. This included the 350-home limit imposed on institutional investors in single-family homes and the enhanced flexibility for grant programs like CDBG and HOME that are allocated directly to local governments. Tyler also noted this legislation is just a starting point to addressing the housing crisis and Sen. Warnock is looking to advance further legislation in the near future.