Housing set up for displaced
Tornado victims in Phil Campbell who lost their homes in the deadly tornado outbreak two weeks ago will finally have a place to call their own, even if it’s for a temporary time, thanks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local agencies.
Carol Hector-Harris, a public information officer for FEMA, said 11 temporary housing units were delivered to Phil Campbell over the weekend and should be ready for residents to move in by no later than the end of the week.
“The families moving in these mobile home units qualified for temporary housing after they called and registered with FEMA,” Hector-Harris said. “The were interviewed about their housing needs and determined to be eligible after they demonstrated they had a need.”
According to FEMA officials, manufactured housing is provided as the option of last resort in areas with limited available rental housing. FEMA will not provide travel trailers or mobile homes to disaster survivors – even those who lived in mobile homes before the tornadoes – if other forms of temporary housing are available.
“Once every other housing option is exhausted, we can bring in temporary housing units, such as manufactured housing,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Michael F. Byrne.
If a temporary housing unit cannot be set up on the applicant’s lot, it will be set up on an existing pad in a private or commercial mobile home park.
“We want these families to be close to where they lived so they aren’t having to drive a long way while their homes are being rebuilt,” Hector-Harris said. “The mobile homes sent to Phil Campbell were actually set up in an existing mobile home park that was not damaged that already had utilities running to it.”
Hector-Harris said these housing units are an important step in getting these displaced tornado victims back to some sense of normalcy.
“These homes give the victims some privacy and a place to rest,” she said. “It’s a roof over their head they can call their home for a while.”
FEMA officials said the mobile homes and park models are temporary housing for displaced residents while they seek permanent housing or wait for extensive repairs to be completed. Those living in the units will have their cases reviewed each month to determine their eligibility for continued FEMA assistance. Survivors can live in the units up to 18 months.
Each unit is equipped with a NOAA weather radio and meets strict specifications for indoor air quality.
Hector-Harris also said that anyone in the area with rental property is encouraged to contact FEMA at 800-621-FEMA or their local EMA because additional housing is still needed.
“This is just the first wave of needs identified by FEMA as well as state and local agencies,” Hector-Harris said. “We’re all working together to have these needs met as soon as we can, but we can’t meet a need if someone doesn’t register.
“I can’t stress enough how important it is to register with FEMA for assistance,” she added. “Some people are too proud to register, but this isn’t a government hand-out. This is your tax dollars coming back to work for you in a time when you need it.”
To register with FEMA, call 800-621-FEMA or (TTY) 800-462-7585 for those with speech or hearing impairments from
7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily until further notice. Registration is available 24 hours a day online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by smartphone at m.fema.gov.
