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FEMA's Temporary Mobile Home Community Sites

 GENERAL OVERVIEW

• Mobile Home Community Sites are constructed only when there is a lack of permanent housing for displaced residents and when all other temporary housing options have been exhausted.
• FEMA conducts an exhaustive search of available land parcels in the county where housing is needed. Sites are identified as viable if they have easy access to utilities and meet all local codes.
• FEMA places a public notice about the site in the timeframe required by law.
• FEMA does not compensate residents for real estate market changes that may or may not be caused by the community site.
• The number of units for the sites depends on the size of the available land.
• FEMA determines the eligibility of applicants in need of temporary housing based on several factors, including that the applicant lived in an area that was damaged by the disaster and designated as part of the presidential disaster declaration. The applicant must have a disaster-damaged primary residence and a temporary housing need.
• Every temporary housing unit is professionally installed. That installation includes leveling, anchoring, blocking, plumbing, sewer connections, electrical service, etc.
• Local permits for temporary housing placement, plumbing and electricity are obtained from the governing jurisdiction.
• Fifteen percent of the mobile homes in each community site are dedicated to those with special needs. These are built to be Uniform Federal Accessibility Standard (UFAS) compliant.
• If there are additional needs as a result of the temporary community site, then FEMA will work with local officials about meeting those needs, either directly or as a reimbursable expense.

SAFETY ISSUES

• A complete safety inspection by a 3-member team is conducted of each FEMA unit inside and out prior to a resident moving in. Monthly maintenance checks are also conducted to ensure the unit remains safe and functional.
• The design of the temporary community includes fencing, gates and security.
• Prior to occupying a FEMA unit, individuals and families are provided with the rules and regulations, as well as safety instructions for inclement weather or emergencies. Occupants are expected to abide by the rules in order to remain in the temporary housing units.

OCCUPANT ISSUES

• FEMA is making every effort to keep displaced Texans near their homes. This means that the occupants of the community site will most likely be fellow county residents.
• Since the occupants have been part of the community before moving into the site, they have been already factored into the county's infrastructure planning as far as schools, transportation, law enforcement, etc.
• The only screening that FEMA does is to determine the applicant's need for temporary housing. There are no background checks.
• The procedures that are currently in place in the community for identifying sex offenders will apply for the FEMA community site.

OVER THE LONG-TERM

• Generally, the community site will exist for approximately 18 months from the date of the presidential disaster declaration. If there is a need beyond that time, the county can ask the state to request that FEMA extend the housing for a specified time.
• If the local jurisdiction does not want the temporary housing units to remain beyond the 18 months, FEMA will be required to remove those units and house any remaining residents elsewhere.
• Mobile home occupants are required to continue to work on their long-term housing goals, while in the temporary unit.
• FEMA conducts monthly maintenance checks and case management follow up to ensure occupants are working on their long-term housing plans and keeping the units clean, neat and orderly.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability or economic status. Anyone who believes he or she has been discriminated against should contact the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- or hearing-impaired.

Last Modified: Wednesday, 11-Aug-2010 14:46:38 EDT