FEMA Administrator Meets With Local, State And Federal Officials
Release Date: November 7, 2008
Release Number: 1791-236
» More Information on Texas Hurricane Ike
GALVESTON, Texas -- FEMA Administrator David Paulison met today with local, state and federal elected officials representing cities and counties in Southeast Texas to discuss his agency's response to providing housing for hurricane victims.
Paulison highlighted progress in the Texas disaster recovery in Galveston County and the city of Galveston and in Jefferson and Orange Counties. His meeting followed a morning briefing on the Galveston housing mission and concluded a two-day fact-finding tour of FEMA-provided housing units and potential commercial sites. He met with a group of Harris County mayors and Judge Ed Emmett on Thursday in Houston.
Today's meeting was arranged at the joint request of U.S. Sens. K. Bailey Hutchinson and John Cornyn, along with Reps. Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands); Ron Paul (R-Surfside Beach); and Ted Poe (R-Humble).
Attending were local elected officials from Chambers, Galveston (city and county), Jefferson and Orange counties, as well as a number of state senators and representatives and representatives of the state's congressional delegation.
"It was a real exchange of views," said Paulison of the meeting. "They let us know what their problems were, and we explained to them what our capabilities and constraints were."
Paulison said the agency's response has been challenged, in part, by finding suitable sites for replacement housing. Some sites are too small. Others are located in flood plains. Still others have been identified but lack power.
But good news came out of the Galveston City Council last Wednesday when the council granted a variance from flood elevation requirements to allow manufactured housing in the 100-year floodplain. The city council also authorized temporary permits for manufactured housing to be placed on residential or community sites. Galveston has joined dozens of disaster-affected counties and cities in making this important decision that allows FEMA to move forward with the much-needed manufactured housing.
The administrator said he had assigned three strike teams to expedite each of these issues and to go door-to-door to talk with hurricane victims to assess their disaster-related housing needs and identify priority areas.
"We are on the ground, actively reaching out to people to get this resolved," Paulison said.
The administrator pointed out that 554 applicants have signed occupancy agreements for manufactured housing, and 611 are in the process of installation; that's nearly 50 percent of the 2,552 people who are eligible to receive direct housing.
Paulison said that FEMA has funneled more than $282 million into Texas for disaster housing, rental assistance, and home-repair grants since Ike hit in September.
"As I've said before, we are committed to providing assistance to ensure Texas has the resources to fully recover from Ike," Paulison said, "and we will be here for as long as it takes to get the job done."
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Monday, 10-Nov-2008 09:30:39