The NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition stands ready to convene and support disaster-impacted communities to ensure that federal disaster recovery efforts reach all impacted households, including the lowest-income and most marginalized people who are often the hardest-hit by disasters and have the fewest resources to recover.
Hurricanes Laura & Delta
FEMA on October 17 announced President Donald Trump approved a Major Disaster Declaration for Louisiana, making federal disaster assistance available to residents of Acadia, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, and Vermilion parishes affected by Hurricane Delta. State and federal officials are encouraging Louisiana residents who suffered losses from Hurricane Delta to register for disaster assistance with FEMA as soon as possible. If residents previously applied for FEMA assistance after Hurricane Laura, they must register again for Delta assistance.
FEMA released a statement reminding Hurricane Laura survivors that FEMA grants are not taxable income and will not affect eligibility or benefits received for other federal aid.
KPLC reports more tenants are being evicted from their Lake Charles apartments in the aftermath of Hurricanes Laura and Delta. The Ridge complex and the Villa, which houses seniors, are among the latest apartments to inform their residents that they must leave and remove their belongings by the end of the month. Some residents report that their apartments show no evidence of damage from the hurricanes.
The New York Times reports that after Hurricanes Laura and Delta, Lake Charles residents and officials fear the city’s cries for help have gone unheard.
Lake Charles evacuees are being forced from FEMA-funded hotels in New Orleans after being told their homes, many of which have been damaged or destroyed by Hurricanes Laura and Delta, are livable. The Red Cross told evacuees temporarily residing in hotels that their homes must be inspected by FEMA before they can ask the Louisiana National Guard to relocate them.
The Advocate reports the state of Louisiana recently restarted bus trips to and from the Alexandria shelter, New Orleans, Lake Charles, and Texas, where evacuees have been scattered after Hurricanes Laura and Delta. Some evacuees who have been residing in state-provided hotels received text messages on October 17 notifying them that their hotel room will “come to an end” on October 20, leaving them scrambling to find shelter since their homes were destroyed by Hurricane Laura.
In the first of a three-part series on Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta recovery, Southerly Magazine examines how the hurricanes have made it more difficult for Lake Charles’ Black residents to vote.
Hurricane Michael
WFSU reports permanent housing remains out of reach for many low-income residents two years after Hurricane Michael. According to a FEMA spokesperson, 98 households in Bay County still occupy trailers through FEMA’s Direct Temporary Housing Assistance Program. Many families who are not living in FEMA trailers still lack permanent housing, with Bay District Schools counting 3,500 students who were homeless at the end of last school year.
Wildfires in the West
California
FEMA on October 16 announced President Trump approved a Major Disaster Declaration for California, making federal disaster assistance available to certain counties affected by the wildfires.
FEMA released a statement saying wildfire survivors can apply for federal assistance even if they are insured. Disaster assistance may be able to fill insurance gaps or provide help if survivors have been waiting more than 30 days on a homeowner’s claim. The deadline for registering with FEMA is November 23.
The LA Times reports the Trump administration denied a request from Governor Gavin Newsom for a major presidential disaster declaration. President Trump reversed the decision several hours later after a direct appeal from Governor Newsom.
Oregon
The USDA announced on October 16 that low-income Oregon residents enduring the ongoing wildfires could be eligible for much-needed assistance from the USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP).
Four weeks after the Almeda fire devastated the cities of Phoenix and Talent, thousands of people are still without homes, with some staying at hotels, at the fairgrounds, or sleeping in cars and tents. “We need to give people a place to call home for now while we develop permanent solutions,” says Laz Ayala, the founder of KDA Homes. “We need something better than sleeping in cars, tents, and shelters.”
An op-ed in the Oregonian urges Governor Kate Brown and all public officials to ensure that rebuilding efforts in Talent and Phoenix bring home the households that were displaced by the wildfires and create more affordable housing that the communities desperately need.