Alternate Housing A Top Northern Panhandle Priority
Release Date: October 8, 2004
Release Number: 1558-043
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Charleston, W. Va. – Fresh from a new look at Northern Panhandle recovery efforts, federal and state recovery managers reaffirmed a key recovery goal is to house those who lost homes to remnants of Hurricane Ivan flooding as quickly as possible.
“Let me assure everyone that we have marshaled all resources to find alternate housing for those who are in need” said Federal Coordinating Officer Lou Botta of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
State Coordinating Officer Steve Kappa of the West Virginia Office of Emergency Services echoed those statements saying, “We recognized housing as a critical issue on our first look at this area while the water was high, and this trip just reinforced that view. Housing those who cannot or should not live in their disaster-damaged home is of paramount importance.”
A successful effort to find alternate housing has been underway for weeks. Some components of this program include:
- The FEMA Individuals and Households Program (IHP) has approved more than $5 million for rental assistance and home repairs for homeowners and rental assistance for renters to find alternate housing as well as grants to homeowners to make repairs to make their homes livable. Many have taken these funds and found a resolution to their short-term housing need.
- The FEMA Housing Program has put together a database of rental units available in disaster-declared areas. The information is gathered from newspaper real estate sections, contacts with local realtors, spotting “For Rent” signs on structures, and other means. The units in the database have been offered to registrants with successful housing results.
- FEMA currently is contacting all registrants who received an initial rental assistance check to assess their housing situation.
“The temporary housing needs of West Virginians affected by Hurricane Ivan are being met. All alternate housing options are on the table for consideration. The first option is an available rental unit and, so far, that option is filling the need,” said Botta.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA’s continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazard’s and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Friday, 08-Oct-2004 17:18:20