Conversion Of Emergency Sheltering Apartments To FEMAs Individual Rental Assistance Program
Release Date: February 27, 2006
Release Number: FNF-06-003FactSheet
Following the devastation to the Gulf Coast from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, tens of thousands of families displaced from their damaged homes evacuated to states throughout the country seeking emergency sheltering. In all, 44 states and the District of Columbia received presidential emergency declarations to assist in the evacuation, the most declarations made for a single disaster in the history of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Through those declarations, FEMA has reimbursed states with Public Assistance Program emergency sheltering funds over the last six months for apartments in which the states are sheltering evacuees. Approximately 60,000 apartments were leased by state or local governments, or authorized partners on behalf of evacuees in 32 of the states that received declarations. These publicly-backed leases were entered into up until Feb. 7, 2006 and range in length from just a few months up to 12 months.
FEMA is now working with those state and local entities to convert all eligible leases to FEMA’s Housing Assistance program (financial rental assistance) for individuals and households and to set up a direct payment system to the apartment owners through Corporate Lodging Consultants, Inc, FEMA’s payment agent. This conversion will put into place a longer-term rental arrangement that will allow FEMA to work more directly with evacuees’ individual long-term housing needs.
FEMA is in contact with all states, locals and partners regarding the apartment conversion process, and is sending letters to evacuees living in these apartments letting them know about the conversion that is occurring. While FEMA is working to convert apartment leases by March 1, all states have been alerted that FEMA will reimburse payments of March leases through emergency sheltering funds if FEMA has not yet converted those leases by March 1.
FACTS ABOUT THE TRANSITION
- This conversion of lease payment requires that a lease be established directly between the landlord and the hurricane evacuee residing in the apartment. Evacuees will be contacted by FEMA to let them know they are either eligible or ineligible to be transitioned directly to FEMA’s Housing Assistance program. However, if they have not called to register with FEMA, they should do so immediately by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), (TTY: 1-800-462-7585), or register on-line at www.fema.gov.
- As evacuees are found to be eligible, they will be converted and rent payments will be made by FEMA through our payment agent, Corporate Lodging Consultants (CLC), Inc., directly to the landlord. If ineligible, an evacuee will receive notice 30 days in advance of apartment subsidy termination. This offers additional transition time to either begin making rental payments from one’s own resources or transition to a new housing solution through referrals to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Disaster Voucher Program for pre-disaster homeless and previous HUD assisted evacuees or to state human services agencies and voluntary organizations.
- As FEMA’s payment agent, CLC enters into a payment contract or agreement with the landlord of an apartment unit occupied by a FEMA-assisted applicant. FEMA determines initial and continued eligibility of the applicant, and upon direction from FEMA, CLC will make direct payments to the landlord on behalf of FEMA and the applicant.
- This Housing Assistance program provides for rental assistance to underinsured or uninsured Hurricane Rita or Katrina evacuees whose primary residence – whether a renter or a homeowner – was made uninhabitable by the disaster. The rental assistance is available for up to 18 months from the date the disaster was declared and by law cannot duplicate insurance or other forms of disaster assistance.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Friday, 24-Mar-2006 11:09:22