Direct Housing Assistance

Travel Trailers, Mobile Homes and Prefabricated Homes

Program

Direct Housing Assistance generally consists of FEMA obtaining and installing temporary housing units (manufactured homes, travel trailers, and other types of prefabricated housing) on private (individual) sites, commercial parks, or other temporary sites developed by FEMA. This assistance is considered a last option. 

This non-financial assistance is provided directly to individuals and households when there are not enough housing resources in the impacted area and/or the individual or household was eligible for financial housing assistance but not able to use available resources.

The word "trailer" or "mobile home" is used in many cases for referring to temporary housing unit.

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Eligibility and Referral

Eligibility for Direct Housing Assistance is based on several factors such as on available housing, apartment, and rental resources in the impacted area, geographic area and the specific disaster related housing needs of the individual and others in the area. In some cases, a trailer or mobile home park within a reasonable commute may serve the individual.

Individuals do not "request" temporary housing initially.  Financial Assistance (rental assistance) is provided before Direct Housing Assistance.  If applicants are found eligible, they will be contacted for a Pre-Placement Interview (PPI). The time between determining eligibility and a PPI varies based on time/date registered, number of people affected and assessment of local temporary housing options.

SELF ASSESSMENT: To assess your situation, consider the following questions: If you answer "yes" for all three questions, go to a nearby Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to be referred for Direct Housing Assistance. You will be contacted and interviewed in a Pre-Placement Interview (PPI) to re-assess and/or determine disaster-related housing needs.

  1. Did you live in the impacted area when the disaster occurred?
  2. Are you displaced from you pre-disaster, primary dwelling as a result of federally declared disaster?
  3. Is there a shortage of available and/or affordable rental or housing resources in the impacted area or the area you relocated to? Note: This also includes an applicant who has received rental assistance but cannot find a place to rent or they still cannot afford a place to rent.

IF INSURED: Insured applicants may potentially be eligible for Direct Housing Assistance if they are eligible for or received Additional Living Expenses (ALE) from their insurance company but cannot find a place to rent or they still cannot afford a place to rent. The applicant must contact their insurance company first.  If insured applicants are provided a temporary housing unit, the occupant will provide the housing portion of their ALE not to exceed the fair market rate (FMR) to FEMA. 

UNIT SIZE: If your family is too large for the travel trailer or mobile home, FEMA can provide more than one unit for a family if necessary.

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Locations for Units

Units could be placed on the applicant's property if the site is feasible and the local authorities approve.

Units may be placed on individual private property not owned by the applicant. The owner of the land must be willing allow the FEMA to place a unit on his/her land for the potential occupant at no cost to FEMA. During the pre-placement interview, applicants should inform the caseworker that they need help identifying a lot in the area where they would prefer to stay. FEMA may have units already installed in those areas, if so, applicants may be offered a unit. If an applicant turns down the unit in this circumstance, they may go back on the waiting list.

Units can be placed on commercial, private, FEMA developed group parks or national/state/city parks which have adequate utility hook-ups. A commercial park is identified as a commercial manufactured housing or recreational vehicle park. This park already has utilities (water, electric, sewer/septic) for pre-developed pads or lots.  The pads or lots must be feasible and the park management must be willing to lease the pad or lot to FEMA for a fair and reasonable amount for the area. FEMA will pay the pad lease for as long as the unit is on the pad or lot not to exceed 18 months from the disaster. 

FLOODWAY: FEMA cannot install some units in areas identified as a floodway or high coastal hazard area.  Also related somewhat to this is the placement of manufactured homes in the "100 year" flood zone or special flood hazard area (SFHA). Generally for sites identified as within the "100-year" flood zone, FEMA has installed travel trailers on those sites if everything else is feasible.

Consideration for the installation of manufactured homes within the "100 year" flood zone or special flood hazard area (SFHA) must include the identification and analysis of appropriate mitigation measures, approval from the local flood plain manager, and the availability of other feasible sites outside the "100-year" flood zone and/or SFHA.

Manufactured homes installed in the "100-year" flood zone area must be installed with all appropriate mitigation measures. These mitigation measures could potentially make the site in-feasible. Mitigation measures can include but is not limited to using more permanent piers, and installing the unit 12" above the flood elevation for the area. 

HANDICAPPED: ADA compliant units are available. It is important that you inform FEMA during the Pre-Placement Interview process. This allows FEMA to begin the process for acquiring a unit appropriate for your disaster-related housing needs, ramps secured, etc. FEMA also has to ensure that the site is appropriate under UFAS guidelines.

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Delivery

Delivery of an on-site trailer is contingent on several factors: the local governing body - from neighborhood associations thru state regulations - must allow the placement, there must be adequate space to place the trailer/s on the site, the individual must contact the local utility companies to get hook-ups prepared, trailers need to be available when the site is ready, and a contractor needs to deliver and set up the trailer. Local situations determine who and how utilities are hooked up to the unit and inspected before occupancy is allowed.

A feasible site is a site that can be equipped with operational utilities (water, electric, septic/sewer), meets the local community approval process, assessable, appropriate size for the unit, and not in a flood way or high coastal hazard area.  The flood zone for all sites must be checked.  FEMA can not install units in some areas.

The occupant signs a lease that allows them to use the FEMA mobile housing unit. The occupant is responsible for maintaining and paying utilities. The contractor delivering the unit is normally responsible for doing a walk-thru inspection and orientation for the occupants, and for providing information about maintenance resources for units in the area.

NOTE: FEMA trailers may be delivered and hooked up but keys could be withheld from the individuals pending the local inspections necessary prior to occupancy.

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Length of use and costs

The length of time the occupant may occupy the unit varies based on the habitability of their damaged home, the availability of other housing resources that come on the market and the occupant's on-going housing recovery efforts for their long-term housing needs.

As apartments and other housing come become available, it may be more beneficial for the occupant to rent one of these resources instead of occupying a mobile temporary housing unit. The occupant may be allowed to use the unit for up to 18 months from the date of the declared disaster if the occupant can demonstrate the unit is needed for that long. Individual circumstances may alter this.

The occupant is not charged rent for occupying the unit when the occupant demonstrates a continued disaster-related housing need, the occupant is still eligible to receive disaster housing assistance and, if insured, the insurance company is not providing Additional Living Expenses (ALE) to the individual for housing. The occupant is responsible for maintaining and paying utilities.

If the occupant is insured and the insurance company is providing the occupant Additional Living Expenses (ALE) for housing, the occupant will pay the ALE amount not to exceed the fair market rent (FMR) for the area, type, and size of the unit.

If other reasonable housing is available and/or when or if the occupant is determined not-eligible for disaster housing assistance the occupant will pay the monthly FMR rate for the unit based on the area and unit comparable size, and type.

If emergency housing Financial Assistance funds have been received prior to moving into the mobile housing unit, any balance left over can be used for other disaster-related housing need. If you use housing Financial Assistance for other than the intended purposes, you may not be eligible for additional or continued funds from FEMA in the category for which the assistance was provided.

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Maintenance

The occupant is responsible for the general cleaning and care of the housing unit. If utilities, appliances or trailer fixtures are not operating properly, the occupant needs to contact the company responsible for maintaining the unit.  This information is given to the occupant when the housing unit is turned over to the occupant with the keys. If the maintenance phone number gets misplaced, contact the FEMA Hotline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).  A helpline representative will ensure that someone gets back with you.

If a storm damages the FEMA mobile housing unit, contact the maintenance company or the FEMA Hotline as soon as possible.

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Return / Purchase

The occupant should contact FEMA two weeks prior to moving out of the trailer. This will allow for the final inspection and canceling of the lease for the unit. If an individual wishes to purchase the unit they have occupied, they need to contact FEMA as soon as possible to see if it can be arranged. Whether the unit can be purchased is determined on a case-by-case basis.

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More Information

Call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for people with speech or hearing disabilities.

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Last Modified: Friday, 27-Jul-2007 12:25:42 EDT