FEMAs Individuals And Household Program Provides Full Spectrum Recovery Assistance
Release Date: August 21, 2004
Release Number: 1539-018
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Charley and Tropical Storm Bonnie
ORLANDO, Fla. -- What can Florida residents who were displaced or lost personal property due to Hurricane Charley expect as they begin their road to recovery? After insurance one of the major sources of assistance will come from FEMA’s Individuals and Household Program which provides temporary help in the form of alternative housing and financial assistance with other needs.
The program provides full spectrum assistance ranging from rental assistance for temporary quarters, to grants for minimal repairs to make safe, sanitary and functional living quarters. This assistance is specifically targeted to the needs at hand.
FEMA’s first priority is to assist the displaced disaster victims in identifying alternative housing within the community. Sometimes assistance could come in the form of temporary roofing to cover a damaged roof. Teams from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National and Florida Americorps, and other volunteer agencies under the coordination of Christian Contractors are going house to house in several counties applying temporary roofing.
The number of homes destroyed or left unlivable by Hurricane Charley has yet to be determined. With rental housing at a premium in the affected areas officials will be looking at bringing in travel trailers and manufactured homes that can be placed on private sites, commercial sites or group sites as necessary.
Manufactured homes are considered alternate, short-term housing to be used only when other adequate sources are not available to address the disaster related housing needs of the community. Anyone with a housing need must first register for assistance by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
“We have our best people here to help get things rolling,” stated Federal Coordinating Officer Bill Carwile. “These people understand what the victims are going through and they have the knowledge and expertise required to get the job done.”
State Coordinating Officer Craig Fugate added, “We are looking at the unique needs of each community and working to meet those needs.”
When a mobile home or a travel trailer becomes the alternate housing source, it will be necessary to obtain the required permission and permits from the local government. The State and local governments are FEMA’s partners when using manufactured homes and travel trailers as temporary housing.
After a disaster victim is identified:
- A pre-placement interview is done by phone to establish the need for a unit. Questions will be asked such as, “Are you able to stay in your home while repairs are made?” If not, “Have you found a place to stay?”
- Once the need is established, the site for the unit is identified. Ideally it would be located on the damaged property. A feasible site is a site that has utilities available, ample space for the unit, unimpeded essential entries or exits, and is out of the way of construction.
- When the site is approved the FEMA inspector will forward the paperwork to FEMA Housing and a work order will be issued to an installation contractor.
- The contractor is responsible for transporting the unit from staging to the site and installing it. All work is done according to federal, state and local code requirements.
- Once the installation is complete and the unit is ready for occupancy, the site inspector, or a leasing agent, does a walk-through with the applicant.
The State will provide initial coordination with local governments on community impact and severity of housing needs. The State will also facilitate transportation of the units if limitations occur in the movement of units. Local governments will be called upon to facilitate the permit or ordinance process if needed. The local jurisdictions will also ensure that utilities are available.
Applicants who receive temporary manufactured housing or travel trailers will pay for all utilities and do everyday maintenance such as changing light bulbs and renewing the propane supply. The applicant must also pursue a permanent housing plan (repair, rebuild, replace) while occupying the unit. Progress will be monitored by FEMA on a regular basis.
Individuals who have not registered can begin the application assistance process by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing or speech impaired.
The State Emergency Response Team is a collaboration of Florida’s emergency management agencies led by the state coordinating officer. Our mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate against their impacts. For the latest information on the hurricane relief effort, visit http://www.floridadisaster.org.
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 hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Sunday, 29-Aug-2004 19:22:45