FEMA update: What we know about the $1 billion in assistance to help SWFL Ian survivors
Nearly six months since Hurricane Ian's landfall in September, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is releasing some hopeful recovery statistics.
FEMA officials announced last week that more than 380,000 Florida households have been approved for $1 billion in financial assistance to recover from Ian, a large chunk of those being in Southwest Florida.
Within a press release Thursday, officials said they are providing survivors with funds for rent, home repairs and hotel stays, as well as apartment leases, travel trailers and manufactured housing units, and other disaster-caused expenses. By law, FEMA is not allowed to duplicate insurance payments or assistance providedby other agencies or programs.
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John Mills, FEMA External Affairs Officer, spoke with The News-Press Friday afternoon about local recovery efforts since Ian's hit.
"FEMA has approved more than 381,000 households for individual assistance money that has helped the vast majority of people jumpstart their recovery and on a lot of cases, complete their recovery," Mills said. "We're very mindful that this was an absolutely devastating storm and many people are facing some unique challenges, so we're still working very closely and one-on-one with individuals, survivors and families about their specific needs."
Here's what we know about the $1 billion in financial assistance from FEMA and what it means for residents in SWFL.
What assistance have residents received so far?
Mills explained that the fastest way for FEMA to provide assistance is to provide money directly to survivors who have needs related to the hurricane and don't have insurance coverage, such as basic repairs, temporary rental assistance and property clean up.
Over $1 billion in FEMA Individual Assistance has been given to residents across the state, which includes temporary rental assistance, basic home repairs, and otherneeds not covered by insurance.
Mills said that this is money that is directly paid to survivors, both homeowners and renters. It does not need to be repaid. However, he stressed that insurance is the first line of defense after a disaster.
Here's how it breaks down as of Feb. 21:
Lee County - $420 million for 96,000 Households
Charlotte County - $85 million for 26,000 Households
Collier County - $51 million for 14,000 Households
Additionally, over $2.3 billion has been dispersed to roughly 46,000 claims statewide through the FEMA Flood Insurance, which offers payments to policyholders in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance. Lee County has seen $1.5 billion dispersed to 27,000 claims.
Mills highlighted the role flood insurance plays during an event like Hurricane Ian, adding its critical for Floridians to keep up with it.
"It's very important for people to maintain their flood insurance, essentially in all of Florida because of the flood-prone nature of the state. If you're not in a high risk flood zone, you probably live very near to one," Mills said.
How many residents have received emergency temporary housing?
Mills said FEMA has been providing temporary housing since the beginning.
Since Hurricane Ian struck, 4,545 households statewide have needed emergency housing from FEMA. These programs include hotels, apartments or manufactured housing.
As of Feb. 21, the number has since dwindled down to 1,282 households statewide currently in temporary housing, with:
Lee: 402
Charlotte: 189
Collier: 29
DeSoto: 50
Mills said FEMA is closely monitoring and working with each household to see which solution is best for their situation.
"Everyone is facing unique challenges here and we're very mindful of that, so we offer a variety of solutions, individual assistance, grant money, and these housing solutions that we offer," Mills said. "And in some cases, the housing might be too far from where someone either works or wants to live, so we will still try to work with people on a case by case basis, which is what we're doing now."
What challenges does FEMA face with temporary housing?
Along the way, FEMA has faced and overcome challenges regarding temporary housing.
Officials stated that the process for ordering, installation, permitting, utility hookup, inspection and occupancy of travel trailers and manufactured housing units takes more time than the process for rental assistance or repair assistance. This is due to making sure FEMA follows all local and state laws.
There is also the concern of placing manufactured units and trailers in high-level flood areas, especially with the next hurricane season less than three months away.
"In some cases, people will want a travel trailer placed on their property where they are doing home repairs. That can be a challenge because a lot of the homes are in high risk flood zones," Mills said.
FEMA has also had some struggles with the shortage of housing and apartments, exacerbated by the hurricane. Mills said this shortage has impacted survivors and their employees will work on the right solution.
"What can be very challenging after a hurricane is that unfortunately, survivors and local communities will face difficult decisions. Some people not only will question how to rebuild, some people may face the very difficult question of whether to rebuild," Mills said. "And that can be a very traumatic experience for people but we understand that and that's why we're working with people one-on-one. But some people may choose to relocate after the storm."
Mills said it is important to be aware that regardless of what form of housing is provided or offered, residents need to remember that it is temporary and they need to actively be making repairs to their home or finding a permanent solution in the meantime.
Are disaster recovery centers still open? If so, where and what do I bring?
FEMA assistance centers within Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties:
Lakes Regional Library - 15290 Bass Road, FORT MYERS, FL 33919
Lake Kennedy Center - 400 Santa Barbara Blvd., CAPE CORAL, FL 33915
Beach Baptist Church - 130 Connecticut St., FORT MYERS BEACH, FL 33931
Phillips Community Park - 5675 Sesame Drive, BOKEELIA, FL 33922
Sanibel Community Church - 1740 Periwinkle Way, SANIBEL, FL 33957
Bonita Springs Recreational Center - 26740 Pine Ave., BONITA SPRINGS, 34135
Cultural Center - 2280 Aaron St, PORT CHARLOTTE, FL 33952
Tringali Rec Center - 3450 N Access Road, ENGLEWOOD, FL 34224
Mills said more than 81,000 households have visited a FEMA disaster recovery center to meet one-on-one with FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration about gettingassistance.
Two of the busiest centers are the Lakes Regional Library with more than 13,000 unique households visits and the Fort Myers DMS (debris management) building with more than 4,700 visits.
What else is being done to help SWFL?
Mills shared that FEMA is working closely with local governments and eligible non-profits to help survivors get reimbursements through the state for debris removal, emergency protective measures and the restoration of infrastructure and facilities.
Local governments will complete the work, follow contracting laws, rules and regulations at the local, state and federal levels. Then the projects are developed and submitted to FEMA for reimbursement, he said.
"FEMA, when those projects are approved, provides that reimbursement money to the state of Florida … the state of Florida follows all rules and regulations that the state has and then reimburses the local governments and nonprofits for those expenses."
Projects and eligible costs are being determine at this time.
FEMA is also working on issues such as the removal of derelict vessels, waterway debris removal, and debris removal including commercial property debris removal and private property debris removal.
Officials said early estimates for the total cost of Hurricane Ian in Lee County is a little over $2 billion.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: FEMA: $1 billlion approved for Florida Hurricane Ian victims
