WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley has sent a letter to the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency asking for additional relief for 2008 Iowa flood victims who must soon move back into rental housing.
This month, FEMA extended the temporary housing program in Iowa, in an effort to help families who would then be able to keep kids in the same school until the end of the semester. The wrinkle is that FEMA also said fair-market rental rates for the temporary housing will take effect at the end of November. The problem is that fair-market rates have gone up substantially compared to pre-flood rates because rental property isn’t eligible for FEMA assistance, so it’s taken longer to get it rehabilitated and rebuilt and, as a result, the rent has gone up.
Grassley is working with FEMA to develop a more workable solution for the Iowans.
Here is a copy of the text of Grassley’s letter.
October 27, 2008
W. Craig Fugate
Administrator
Federal Emergency Management Agency
500 C Street SW
Washington, D.C. 20472
Dear Administrator Fugate:
Iowans appreciate the recent extension the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) granted to the temporary housing program in Iowa. I was glad to see that consideration was given to families with school children as to the timing of the extension so students could complete the school year without interruption. However, I am concerned about the date when fair market rental rates for each temporary housing unit will go into effect.
The end of November is a hard time for Iowa families to come up with new large expenditures. In the floods of2008, many rental units were damaged causing a severe lack of availability. As rental units are not eligible for assistance through FEMA programs, it has taken longer for these units to be rehabilitated or rebuilt. As a result, the rent on the available units is significantly higher than they were before the flood. It will be very difficult for those flood victims still in temporary housing units to be able to start paying such high rent during the holidays and hard economic times.
I request that FEMA carefully reevaluate the timing and rent to be charged to these Iowans still trying to rebuild their lives that were devastated after this historic flood. I look forward to working with you to develop a workable plan for these families.
Sincerely,
Chuck Grassley
United States Senator
