Tornado Shelters Act of 2003 Law and Legal Definition
The Tornado Shelters Act is an U.S. Federal legislation signed into law on December 3, 2003. The Act amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to authorize communities to use community development block grant funds for construction of tornado-safe shelters in manufactured home parks. It allows construction or improvement of tornado-safe shelters for manufactured housing including loans and grants to non-profit or for-profit entities. Shelters built under the auspices of the Act must be located in a neighborhood or park that contains at least 20 units, consists predominately of low- and moderate-income households, and is in a state where a tornado has occurred within the current or last 3 years. Further, each constructed shelter must comply with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) standards for construction and safety, and be large enough to accommodate all members of the park/neighborhood, and be located in a park/neighborhood that has a warning siren.
