Extension Requested: State Seeks Additional FEMA Support for Ida Survivors in Temporary Housing
As the recovery efforts from Hurricane Ida continue to progress slowly, Louisiana state officials have made another appeal to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to extend the temporary housing program. The goal is to extend the program into 2024 and maintain low rent for residents who are still in need of housing.
Casey Tingle, the executive director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), wrote a letter to FEMA on May 29 explaining the necessity for these extensions. The ongoing recovery efforts have left many residents waiting for home repairs or without housing options due to a lack of available homes.
Tingle emphasized the struggles faced by families who have been impacted not only by the devastating hurricane but also by inadequate insurance coverage and bureaucratic systems that lack flexibility. The letter appealed for an extension of the program until the end of February 2024.
Currently, the FEMA program includes ten parishes, namely Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Plaquemines, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, Tangipahoa, and Terrebonne.
As of June 1, rental prices have increased significantly. The new rates are based on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Market Rate, with monthly costs for a single-bedroom trailer at $780, a two-bedroom at $981, a three-bedroom at $1,266, and a four-bedroom at $1,428. The initial payment at the fair market value rate is due on July 1.
The sudden rate hike represents a substantial increase compared to the $50 per month residents had been paying since March. According to FEMA policy, the fair market rate was supposed to take effect at that time. Prior to that, residents were able to stay in the units for free during the initial 18-month program duration.
In response to the appeal from parish officials regarding increased living costs and a lack of affordable housing, GOHSEP has requested that FEMA completely waive rent or charge a minimum of $50 per month. Individual families have the opportunity to appeal the rent increases, and some have successfully appealed due to financial hardship. Residents were notified by mail on May 1 and have 60 days from the notice to submit an appeal.
One Pointe-aux-Chenes resident, Tommy Dardar, successfully appealed his trailer’s rent increase from $981 back down to $50. Dardar’s FEMA trailer is situated next to the remnants of his completely destroyed house. He expects the home rebuilding process to take years due to paperwork and bureaucratic hurdles. Dardar is currently working with the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program, a state initiative that provides grant funding to homeowners affected by Hurricane Ida to cover construction costs for home repairs.
Similar challenges are faced by rental properties and public housing options that were damaged during Hurricane Ida. It may take years for properties like Bayou Towers and Senator Circle, which previously provided housing for over 500 Terrebonne Parish families, many of whom were elderly and disabled, to reopen. Housing and Urban Development officials anticipate a lengthy timeline for repairs and restoration.
In the appeal, GOHSEP also highlighted the barriers that families encounter in finding more permanent long-term housing, including the shortage of affordable rental properties. According to Tingle, there are only 27 rental complexes without a waitlist in the ten parishes covered by the FEMA program, as indicated by the Louisiana Housing Corporation website. Moreover, many of the available units are beyond the financial means of displaced residents.
Tingle expressed the urgent need for viable and realistic solutions for the numerous families still displaced by the hurricane’s impact. He stressed that the volume of displaced families surpasses the current available resources.
Additionally, GOHSEP is requesting that FEMA extend its assistance to households in the Hurricane Ida Sheltering Program. This state-run program was established to meet temporary housing needs following Hurricane Ida due to the delayed deployment of FEMA’s temporary trailers. The program ended on May 31, and families were instructed to vacate the trailers. However, residents can appeal to stay longer through case managers.
As of now, FEMA has not responded to these appeals. The hope is that the agency will consider the urgent need for extended assistance and support for the affected residents.
