FEMA Storage Of Modular Housing In Texarkana, TX

Following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, FEMA purchased over 145,000 emergency housing units for disaster victims, including travel trailers, mobile homes and non-mobile modular housing kits. These emergency units were purchased in order to provide temporary housing for families who were displaced by the storms and had no other alternatives for housing. Of the 145,000 total, only 1,755 were non-mobile modular housing kits. This modest number of kits was intended to supplement the supply of travel trailers and mobile homes, and give FEMA an opportunity to evaluate their effectiveness as temporary housing.

While most of these modular housing kits have been used to support Katrina recovery operations, several hundred were never used and remain in storage at FEMA’s logistics storage site in Texarkana, Texas. While measures to protect the kits were taken, they were not designed for long-term storage and some have deteriorated. FEMA is evaluating restoration possibilities, and will make its decisions based on the results of that evaluation.

Understanding the challenges faced with the storage of modular housing kits, in the future, FEMA will ONLY authorize the purchase of modular housing units when a requirement for such housing has been clearly identified, and when the agency can be certain that it has the facilities to store and protect them properly.

Modular Units in Storage and Used for Housing

COGIM units (1,180 total ($34 M)); 100% of the COGIM units are either in use or earmarked for use).
- COGIM units being utilized as teacher housing and emergency infrastructure support in Louisiana and responder support in Mississippi and Alabama.
Trimarro units (221 total ($5.4 M)); all remain at Red River.
- Units are constructed from kiln-dried, untreated lumber, which is easily damaged by even minimal exposure to the elements. Units have the greatest amount of damage due to their materials.
DuraKit units (349 total ($13 M)); all remain at Red River.
- Components are constructed of particle board sheeting and aluminum. Components will have less damage than Trimarros. DuraKits units may be salvageable by purchasing and replacing sheeting

Steps Identified and Recommendations

FEMA first identified this problem in the summer of 2006 and expressed concern about modular units at RRAD not being adequately protected. FEMA’s Logistics office made recommendations to Officials from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) when they were onsite in mid-July 2006 at RRAD regarding conducting a full inventory, which would identify and analyze damage in detail. The OIG used the exact recommendations that FEMA made when they wrote their OIG report.
A month-and-a-half later, on Sept. 5, 2006, a draft report requesting feedback was sent directly to FEMA Response Division, Logistics Branch and to the Recovery Division.
FEMA’s Logistics office prepared a memo with recommendations to the OIG on Sept. 11, 2006 with the following recommendations:
- Inventory and determine the extent of damage to all modular home units currently in stock; (a step already addressed by FEMA).
- Formally write-off all modular home units that are beyond economical repair;
- Make cost-effective plans for the use of all remaining modular home units which may take the form of auctions, transfers or donations;
- Protect and maintain all those modular home units whose condition merits retention; and
- Develop written policies and procedures that allow the purchase of modular home units only when the requirement has been clearly identified, and ensure that they are packaged adequately for storage and are properly stored.

Last Modified: Thursday, 09-Nov-2006 13:12:54 EST