First Manufactured Homes On The Way To Disaster Victims
Release Date: April 18, 2006
Release Number: 1635-008
» More Information on Missouri Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Manufactured homes for disaster victims will soon be arriving in Pemiscot County. These are the first of a number of temporary housing units being made available by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to residents of the region whose homes were damaged or destroyed by recent storms and tornadoes.
Where local housing is exhausted or unavailable, but housing needs remain, FEMA will provide manufactured housing units for temporary use. However, FEMA provides these manufactured housing units only after all other housing options are exhausted. They are considered a final lodging solution in areas with limited rental housing.
Other types of disaster assistance include repair grants and rental assistance. FEMA is doing pre-placement interviews with residents in Pemiscot County to facilitate getting them into temporary housing as soon as possible. Manufactured housing units will be provided as FEMA determines short-term housing needs.
“FEMA works aggressively to help people displaced by a disaster to find replacement housing,” said Tom Costello, federal coordinating officer for disaster recover operations in Missouri. "We want people who have exhausted all their options for temporary housing to have a place to live that is safe and secure."
Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Director Ron Reynolds added, "We are working to assess the needs of everyone, so we'll know whether the manufactured housing option is the answer for them or not."
Manufactured housing can be located either at a homeowner's damaged residence site, at a nearby commercial site or at a group site so that they can be hooked up to the existing electricity, water and sewer lines.
Applicants must first register for assistance by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by going to: www.fema.gov to be considered for any form of FEMA disaster housing assistance. Individuals with hearing or speech impairments may call (TTY) 1-800-462-7585 .
If applicants are willing to accept a manufactured housing unit and agree to the terms, the unit will be leased to them. There is no rent unless the applicant has received insurance benefits to pay rent. The occupant pays utilities.
Before manufactured housing can be moved onto private property, an inspector will call to arrange a visit to review the site. After the site is approved and permits obtained, a unit will be delivered and a time arranged to hook up the utilities and ready the unit for occupancy.
FEMA manufactured housing units are required to comply with all local building code and housing regulations. Sites must be inspected and declared suitable by FEMA officials.
All disaster recovery actions are undertaken with the hope that people can return to their own home or acquire other permanent housing.
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 (NFIP). FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 19-Apr-2006 08:20:16