Conversion from Emergency Sheltering to Traditional Housing Assistance

In response to ruling to resume Housing Assistance Payments for Katrina and Rita Victims

Background

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) worked in partnership with state and local governments nationwide to transition Katrina/Rita evacuees from FEMA's emergency sheltering program into its more traditional temporary housing assistance program.
Due to the unprecedented need for housing and sheltering following Katrina/Rita, the agency implemented an emergency sheltering program and authorized state and local governments to secure apartment leases to shelter evacuees. This emergency sheltering program provided shelter for displaced evacuees in apartments rented by grantees and reimbursed by FEMA through section 403 for a period not to exceed 12 months. In accordance with Stafford Act and federal regulations, evacuees did not need to meet section 408 eligibility criteria to shelter in section 403 apartments.
FEMA's emergency sheltering initiative was conceived as a compassionate but short term solution to meet emergency sheltering needs. From the inception of the section 403 apartment program, FEMA began transitioning shelterees into section 408 of the temporary housing program.

FEMA's authority to provide housing assistance to disaster victims is governed by laws and eligibility criteria that must be followed. Among those criteria, the damaged dwelling must be the applicant's primary residence; the damaged dwelling must be uninhabitable as a result of the disaster; the applicant must be the head of household; at least one member of the household must be a U.S. citizen, a non-citizen national or qualified alien; and there cannot be duplication of benefit from insurance or another resource.
Eligible evacuees who are in the Individuals and Households program are initially provided rental assistance for up to three months, which may be extended for an additional three month interval subject to recertification. This program may provide rental assistance through February 2007, subject to extension.
The recertification process allows FEMA to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars by requiring the applicant to demonstrate that the original financial assistance was used, as intended, for housing, as well as ensure that individuals are making an effort to obtain their own housing as part of their recovery. Applicants are required to provide verifiable rental receipts, express an ongoing need for housing assistance, and demonstrate action towards achieving housing self-sufficiency.

As the Agency transitioned evacuees from emergency sheltering, some individuals and households did not qualify for rental assistance through FEMA's Individuals and Households program. Reasons may have included: the applicant lives with another applicant who has already been awarded assistance; FEMA was unable to verify necessary information with the applicant; an inspection determined the applicant's damage was insufficient to warrant assistance; or the damage was determined to be not directly related to the disaster.
Because FEMA believed some applicants may have been unaware of either the appeal process or the applicability of the initial ineligibility determination, FEMA sent out follow-up letters which explained the process, provided those applicants an additional 60 days in which to appeal, and listed the requirements for additional assistance. FEMA established a team dedicated to handling those appeals on an expedited basis and initiated calls to applicants to help them understand the documentation needed to process their case.

The Katrina Aid Today Consortium, funded by a FEMA grant to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), has been assisting by providing case management for Katrina victims and evacuees nationwide. The website is www.katrinaaidtoday.org.
Katrina Aid Today case managers assisted nearly 28,800 families as of Oct. 31 (roughly 75,000 people), according to a recently released fourth quarter report. The agency said affiliates working on long-term recovery with survivors of Hurricane Katrina virtually doubled the number of families helped since its last report in July, and continues to open about 1,000 new cases each week or 200 cases per day.
FEMA established a Task Force with numerous federal agencies, volunteer organizations, the American Red Cross, and other agencies to smoothly transition individuals into the housing program and work with ineligibles to assist with other options on rental assistance.
FEMA staff reviewed cases one-by-one of applicants identified as ineligibles to ensure the determination was correct. The agency implemented outreach to help individuals understand their options, which includes delivered fliers, sent letters, made phone calls, and conducted second inspections of damaged dwellings.

Last Modified: Thursday, 30-Nov-2006 11:45:34 EST