Frequently Asked Questions
Disposal of Damaged, Uninhabitable Housing Units
Release Date: October 27, 2008
Release Number: FNF-08-080
1. What is FEMA's disposal plan for temporary housing units?
FEMA's Logistics Management Directorate has developed an inventory reduction plan to dispose of travel trailers and mobile homes located at FEMA staging sites throughout the United States. FEMA will work with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to make excess inventory available through the GSA disposal process.
The first phase of disposition focuses on those units in inventory that have no value above the basic material content. FEMA has preliminarily identified approximately 10,000 units in our inventory that will be evaluated for designation as "scrap." These units will be posted on www.gsaauctions.gov for interested individuals to purchase.
2. What units will be designated as "scrap?"
In accordance with federal regulations, housing units that are determined to have no value beyond their basic material content can be sold as scrap. When the federal government identifies scrap property, the GSA brokers the property for sale to federal, state and local entities, as well as the public. The purchasing entity will assume costs of transportation and all legal responsibility for the scrap at time of possession.
3. How does the disposal process through GSA work?
When the federal government identifies excess property as scrap, GSA conducts sales to offer the scrap to the public. FEMA is working with GSA to make this scrap inventory available through the GSA disposal process.
4. Is anyone eligible to buy the units on GSA's Auctions website?
Yes, the general public is eligible to bid electronically on the units that will be placed on GSA's website - www.gsaauctions.gov
5. Will the units designated as "scrap" have formaldehyde?
Formaldehyde is used in the manufacture of travel trailers and mobile homes and may still be present in the units. If FEMA has tested the travel trailer, FEMA will provide the results of the test.
Additionally, because of formaldehyde, FEMA strongly recommends that the travel trailers not be used for occupancy,that is, for either short- or long-term housing. However, these travel trailers could be used for office space, command posts, storage, etc.
Also, the following environmental guidance is available for purchasers:
- Indoor Air Quality and Health in FEMA Temporary Housing (PDF 263KB, TXT 7KB)
- What You Should Know About Formaldehyde in Mobile Homes (PDF 610KB, TXT 13KB)
- Formaldehyde Exposure in Homes: A Reference for State Officials to Use in Decision-Making (PDF 293KB, TXT 22KB)
Additional information can be found on FEMA's Formaldehyde Information Webpage.
6. Why does FEMA have so many temporary housing units?
In response to the unprecedented hurricane season of 2005, FEMA purchased a number of temporary housing units to support tens of thousands of disaster victims. Most of these units were deployed and occupied by eligible disaster assistance applicants. Of the more than 140,000 households placed in FEMA-provided temporary housing units in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, only about 9 percent, or 12,000 households remain in units.
As units have returned from the field, FEMA has had to address the challenging issue of how to dispose of this large and growing inventory of primarily non-mission capable units. It has always been FEMA's goal to reduce the number of temporary housing units in our inventory. However, in July, 2007, FEMA suspended sales of temporary housing units. As of October 24, 2008, there are approximately 120,000 temporary housing units stored in 21 FEMA staging areas that will be designated for re-use, repair or disposition as salvage or scrap, depending upon condition.
7. Why did FEMA suspend the sale of temporary housing units?
On July 24, 2007, FEMA suspended the reporting of excess of temporary housing units to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) while reviewing a number of policies associated with disaster housing because of potential health concerns associated with formaldehyde in manufactured housing units. On July 31, 2007, FEMA reinstated the use of mobile homes for direct housing missions as well as mobile home sales through GSA.
Additionally, in compliance with a November 2007 federal court order (In re: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Trailer Formaldehyde Products Liability Litigation) regarding formaldehyde in temporary housing units, FEMA temporarily suspended the donation and disposal of temporary housing units and only authorized the sale of mobile homes to current occupants of those homes and the donation of certain mobile homes to Indian tribes. Recently, the Court Order expired which had required FEMA to keep all of its temporary housing units for review and possible testing by the plaintiffs and defendants.
8. How many temporary housing units were disposed of prior to the suspension?
Prior to July, 2007, FEMA was reducing inventory by approximately 1000 units/month through sales, donations, and other GSA approved programs.
10,839 travel trailer and park models units were sold through GSA between July 24, 2006 and July 23, 2007 for a total of $75,142,364.57. The average price was $6,936. 1232 mobile homes were sold through GSA between July 24, 2006 and July 23, 2007. The average price was $11,479.
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