Published: November 12, 2008 07:54 pm      

FEMA facts — agency releases relief numbers

Though the Federal Emergency Management Agency released huge numbers and statistics periodically on Hurricane Ike aid, those displaced from their homes are concerned about when they will receive adequate housing.

Peter Lembessis, public information officer with FEMA said the deadline for those staying in motels ended Wednesday, Nov. 12. However, the program’s deadline was extended until Jan. 15, 2009 for those who qualify, including those whose homes were totally destroyed.

“The notice was sent out 14 days ago. Those who are not eligible will receive no more vouchers,” Lembessis said. “Those who are eligible can receive rental assistance until Nov. 29. Basically we’re talking about three groups here.”

Lembessis said those who are ineligible are people whose homes are still habitable with safe water to use, electricity and sewer. Some homeowners are still residing in motels while making repairs to their homes.

A FEMA press release said residents with hurricane damage whose insurance companies still haven’t delivered a promised settlement may be eligible for an advance from FEMA.

FEMA can help displaced homeowners needing rental assistance but whose insurance settlements are delayed longer than 30 days from the time they filed their claims. Any help given by FEMA is considered an advance and must be repaid once an insurance settlement is received. By law, federal agencies may not duplicate insurance benefits.

As of last week, more than 700 mobile homes were occupied by residents in Southeast Texas. That number jumped to 900 mobile homes on the ground this week, though some are still awaiting utility hook-up since the program began, he said.

FEMA is also asking local officials to sign waiver letters authorizing FEMA to install temporary manufactured homes on the 100-year floodplain in the four hardest-hit counties, as well as several adjacent counties. In some cases, FEMA is working with local communities to relax certain electrical permitting requirements.

“We’ve been working very hard on the utility hook-ups. We have over 250 (mobile homes) in Orange County and over 50 in Jefferson County,” Lembessis said. “We have identified over 32,000 rental units state wide. We’re not in the travel trailer business; we’re in the mobile home business. We have over 1,700 FEMA employees in three area field offices of Beaumont, Houston and Galveston. We have over 1,400 people also working — state agencies, other agencies and contractors — 3,000 working the disaster.”

He said another program soon to materialize is community sites designed to set up anywhere from 50 to 100 mobile homes on site.

“We’ve sped up the process tremendously for people to be in a mobile home. We’ve been working feverishly and we’re determined to do that,” he said.