Process and Progress in Policy Development for the Appropriate Disposal of Unused Temporary Housing Units
Release Date: January 9, 2007
Release Number: FNF-07-001
FEMA provides travel trailers and mobile homes as temporary housing for families displaced by disasters when rental sources are not available. Afterwards, the units usually are returned to FEMA to be refurbished for use in subsequent disasters, or, auctioned by the General Services Administration (GSA) if they are determined to be excess property.
Sometimes the units are sold to the disaster victim occupants, or they may be donated to nonprofit organizations or local governments so they can provide temporary housing to eligible disaster victims who have exhausted their housing benefits but still need help. Under this arrangement the units become the property of the organizations on the condition that they are used to house the disaster victims for a year or up to 18 months after a disaster declaration, whichever is longer.
FEMA is moving forward to determine how best to address the provision of the 2007 Appropriations Act, which states that if the director of FEMA authorizes the disposal of unused (new) temporary housing units that FEMA owned on the date of enactment of that Act, Oct. 4, 2006, that they be disposed of in coordination with the Department of the Interior or other appropriate agencies in order to transfer such units to tribal governments, if appropriate.
While FEMA's current policy is to retain all new, unused units for use by victims of future disasters, we are carefully and thoroughly evaluating our requirements to determine if it makes financial sense to dispose of any unused mobile homes.
FEMA's resources always are committed first and foremost to victims of disasters. However, if there is a sensible and justifiable way for us to help others not affected by disasters, we will be prepared to do so.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 09-Jan-2007 12:48:21