A special task force created after Hurricane Sandy recommends that new construction be built to withstand the force of increasingly dangerous storms, USA Today reports. The Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Force also urged hardening of existing infrastructure to ward off power failures and fuel shortages, and to maintain cellular service during future catastrophes.

The report laid out a series of guidelines for spending most of the $50.5 billion Sandy aid package that Congress approved in January, and a little more than $9 billion of that money has been spent.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development said its goals include better alignment of federal funding with local rebuilding plans, and cutting red tape when it come to delivering assistance to families, business and local governments, the USA Today article says.