FEMA Relocation Assistance
Time for our resident engineer to share some news with us again. Ladies and gentlemen, humidcity is proud to once more present the epistles of Matt McBride:
Dear New Orleanians,
This afternoon, FEMA posted the press release announcing the changes in the Relocation Assistance program. You can find it here:
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=41323
This is the program that pays up to $4000 for moves and other relocation expenses for Katrina and Rita victims who have been displaced.
When the program was first announced on August 27th, FEMA only paid for moves between February 1, 2006 and Feb. 29, 2008. The reason for this was purely bureaucratic.
After a nearly instant outcry from many individuals that FEMA was penalizing early returners, the process for revising the program guidance began. Now, the opening dates have been moved back to the dates of the storms (8/29/05 for Katrina and 9/24/05 for Rita). This means that anyone who moved back after the storms may now be eligible.
The new press release does not make mention of the fact that this is a revision of the program, probably to prevent bringing up their error. That’s okay. What’s important is they made the program fair to all.
Also not mentioned in the release are the following points:
1) Acceptance of the relocation assistance means the ending of rental assistance. I suppose this could be controversial.
2) On the hotel room reimbursements (they pay for hotel rooms during a move), if the household has more than four persons or the hotel has occupancy restrictions, they will pay for additional rooms. Also, for each additional 400 miles travelled, they will pay for another night of hotel stays.
3) It’s not clear exactly what they are referring to when they say they will reimburse for “mileage,” in addition to gas & taxes.
4) They mention the cap on Individual & Households Program assistance, but do not provide the amount. It is $26,200.
As of today, the (800) 621-FEMA hotline now has a recorded message about this program. The recording mostly covers the stuff in the press release. As always, you should call the 800 number to register for the program and to get all the official information. Ask to be transferred to a Relocation Assistance specialist. FEMA has specifically trained personnel to process this paperwork and answer aid recipients’ questions.
Matt
ADDENDUM (2 hours later):
FEMA just placed another webpage about the Relocation Assistance program up:
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=41326
They refer to this one as a Fact Sheet. It rejiggers the information in the earlier press release to make it more readable.
Matt
November 29th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Thanks, This info was extremely helpful as FEMA has given me false requirements leading to my disqualification of this assistance. They informed me (in each of the four conversations I had with relocation specialists while awaiting a decision) that I was free to move to any state. Now they have found I am ineligible because my estimates were showing I was moving to a state other than my home state. Now I must go through the appeal process that I’m told will take another 30 - 60 days! I guess if I want the help of my government, I have to move where they tell me to.
February 12th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I applied for the relocation assistance December 21, 2007, this is the actual date they received my info. Today is February 12, 2008, and I still have not received any relocation assistance. I call all the time, and the only thing they say is that it is in the final review stage. It has been in this stage for over a month.
Are they really helping victims relocate? I know several people who have not received a dime to go back home.
February 12th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Like everything else since the storm it is a case of complete disorganization and incompetence on the part of the “systems” that are supposed to deal with these situations.
Red tape and BS.
Hope you make it home soon!
March 2nd, 2008 at 10:36 pm
I was told incorrect information when I began this whole process too. So, I applied the way I was instructed to apply (only after asking a million questions in a million different ways to make SURE I was doing everything correctly). Then, I called everyday to check the status of my claim. Every time I was told different information. I have lists of FEMA representative I.D. #’s as well as names of people I’ve spoken with. Finally, a REJECTION letter came to my mother’s address. Good thing I had already been calling everyday to check on this instead of just waiting for the letter to arrive so that I could begin re-submitting my information in a different way….because it was getting extremely close to the deadline. Then, I was told I would have to appeal the decision. Which I never formally did. I just re-submitted my paperwork (a moving estimate…..how hard can this be??). Then, I was told that my “appeal” would be reviewed on a state level, that it was being sent to the state of Louisiana and could take several weeks for them to receive it. Then, days later, I was told that the state of Louisiana was not handling any of these claims. The only thing consistent about this program is that I’ve been lied to and laughed at and have wasted so many hours on the phone every single day trying to get something accomplished here. It should not be this difficult, and no one who genuinely qualifies for this program, as I do, should be rejected for it. What is it even designed for if it’s not going to the people who need it?
This is a complete travesty. My claim is currently “pending,” or so I am told. I will call every single day until I am told that I am approved. I’ve also been told that checks are being “lost” in the mail left and right. So, make sure to sign up for the electronic funds transfer program that NO ONE is telling you about. I plan to write a very detailed letter to multiple congresspersons explaining this whole situation. I cannot believe that something this simple has become the biggest nightmare I have ever dealt with.
I know people who are going through the same thing. For every ridiculous response I’ve gotten out of FEMA, they’ve gotten an exact opposite one. Good luck everyone involved!!
April 7th, 2008 at 7:10 am
Maybe everyone with a problem with FEMA (I guess that was redundant) should write a letter to Bobby Jindal??
July 30th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I don’t know of any circumstances in private industry where such incompentienc would be considered acceptiable or tollerated. Heads would roll in every job I’ve held if subordinate’s professional behavior or lack of, reached this depth of incompetience.
I applied for relocation assistance from FEMA in September, 07. May, 2008, I was informed that claim was denied because it was to relocate to the pacific north west, where I have lived since my stay in an evacuation center in Mansura, La., for katrina.
I have a chronic health condition. In the 9+ months since original application, the specialist who treates me stated that the extreme cold climate compromises my health. I reapplied for return to N.O. in May 08.
Today, July 30, 08, I contacted FEMA, was told the claim is in review by an agency in Louisiana (TRA? )and will probably not be approved.
In the past week I have been told the denial is based on:
* Monday - relocation must be to Louisiana (my documents from the
Moving co., state to La)
* Tuesday - a copy of lease for residence in La (Nothing in qualification
requirements states a lease is required, but it’s family owned property)
* Wednesday - wants proof of my storage unit in Florida (I offered it a
year ago)
Various other denials:
* I provided moving company docs on 05/15/08, with move date of
6/26/08. On 6/23/08 FEMA denied because “there is not enough time for
move by Moving company date of 6/26/08.”
My original relo in Sept 2007 was to the pacific north west. After 9 months it was denied because only eligible for return to N.O. I don’t know any circumstances in private industry where such incompentienc would be tollerated. I reapplied in May 08. for return to N.O. The other denials were variously stated as:
* proof of my dx for a chronic illness, as bassis for needed relocation
* explanation in my words of why I live in pacific north west and personal
possessions in Fla., along with details of chronic illness, etc.,
I’m long past feeling foolish over this. If my health were not compromised and by ability to continue this battle and limited financial circumstances, I would have given up long ago.
I’ve been accused of fraud in the first 60 seconds of conversation with FEMA reps. It is suspicious because I temporarily moved to relatives on the pacific West Coast 09/05, but my possessions are in storage in Florida since 10/05.
FEMA reps react as though I should have moved my household possessions to the West Coast, a temp living situation (so I thought 3yrs ago). I would have perfered to do that, it wasn’t possible at the time.
WHY? There were NO moving trucks or storage facilities in a multiple state area in late Sept. early Oct. 2005, and NO PODS anywhere in the country according to the PODS Corporate 800 phone number.
I could not have gotten back into NO for a very long time much less have moved everything I own around like it was a move accross town under normal circumstances. My nephew who drove what is usually 3-4hr drive, drove 9 hrs in a U-Haul truck from Fla to La. He was stopped by NOPD because there was martial law in effect.
To add insult to injury, FEMA reps behave as though they are totally unaware of the facts on the ground so to speak, their very agency had huge needs for U-Haul trucks and storage facilities?, but in FEMA getting their supplies, services and equipment, those supplies, services and equipment were unavailable to the public.
Not much of a streatch to think that FEMA and other govt. agencies contracted for whatever storage or rental equipment was available, what wasn’t destroyed, so how is it so difficult for FEMA reps to understand those needed items were unavailable to the public?
If not trained, it must be too much to ask FEMA reps for common sence when talking about this unpresetended disaster with those who experienced it?
I repeat, if the incompotience displayed by FEMA were taking place in the private sector heads all the way up and down the corporate ladder would be rolling.
There is no self governence, QA standards obviously unheard of. How did some of these people even get hired??
Talking with FEMA makes me ill. I’m not trying to be humerous or clever when I say that, I have a neurological disease that is exacerbated by the stress of having to deal with FEMA. I’m sure able bodied people feel sick too.
Homeland Security? hasn’t done a thing to improve FEMA, they continue to offer more programs, growing an already out of control buarcrotic (sp)nightmare, that mismannage even more programs intended to provide some relief to those in need. Under the circumstances, it feels like we are being tormented instead, it is so habitual.