Effective Aid Takes Time 

By R. David Paulison 

 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its partners across the 
federal government have gone to extraordinary lengths to assist in the Gulf Coast's 
recovery from the hurricanes of 2005. Never before has the federal government 
committed so many resources to restoring an area affected by natural disaster. 

Consider the facts: 

To date, President Bush and Congress have committed $110 billion to finance the Gulf 
Coast recovery effort. FEMA has provided housing assistance to nearly 1 million families — 
the largest housing effort ever undertaken. Just last week, FEMA, the Department of Housing 
and Urban Development, and our federal partners extended housing assistance until March 
2009 for those living in travel trailers, mobile homes and apartments. FEMA has also provided 
more than $7.8 billion to fund thousands of recovery projects. 

Some argue that the federal government should waive the 10% match that states and local 
jurisdictions are required to put into projects. What they do not understand is that a 
fundamental tenet of the matching requirement is ensuring that every state and local jurisdiction 
has a financial stake in the decision-making process. This means decisions are scrutinized and 
prioritized to help those people who need it most. 

Given the monumental scale of this tragedy, the administration made a 
compassionate decision to provide supplemental funding to assist Louisiana in meeting 
that obligation. Anticipating the economic hardship caused by the hurricanes, the 
president secured additional funds from Congress, which included $750 million to cover 
the 10% matching requirement. Funding the state's matching requirement through this 
process ensures it has the funds and the incentive to prioritize spending. 

As the Miami-Dade fire chief, I witnessed firsthand the excruciatingly slow recovery from 
Hurricane Andrew in 1992. But — with contributions from local, state and federal agencies and 
the private sector — we began a rebuilding process that took years. While Andrew touched 
only a few counties in Florida, Hurricane Katrina destroyed an area equal to that of Great 
Britain. The Gulf Coast will recover, but it will take time, perseverance and cooperation from 
the private sector and all levels of government. 

 

R. David Paulison is administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.