![]() Several residents complained about burglaries, drug activity and other crime in the FEMA parks, but police said that has subsided. “It was a big plus for me because before this I was living in a motel room and you couldn’t even sleep in that place, with music going day and night,” Straine said. Johnny Straine said living in the FEMA park was an improvement over his prior residence. “With the other price-gouging that went on after the tornado, I don’t see how people can complain about what they have out here.” “I’m in total agreement with them charging rent,” said Williamson. Williamson and some other residents, do not fault FEMA. “If we could afford $757 a month, we wouldn’t need low-income housing.” “I think that is totally asinine and ridiculous,” Calvin said. He is upset that FEMA will soon be seeking rent. Jason Calvin, whose lost his job as a cable TV account manager because of the tornado, said health issues and not being able to afford a car have hurt his chances of finding work. “I’m a guy who believes in moving forward.” “There are a lot of stereotypes about FEMA trailer people - no cars, free rent, free this, free that, people not working,” said Williamson, who planned to move out as he pursues his GED and better jobs. James Williamson, who works two part-time jobs as a cook at fast-food restaurants, said residents of the FEMA units face a stigma. “I can’t wait to get out, seriously,” she said. She feels cramped in their two-bedroom home with two dogs. Leslie Armitage said she and her husband planned to move out this fall but recently learned that state assistance they expected in paying first and last month’s rent is unavailable because of his income. The free FEMA units were crucial to some tornado-displaced residents and helped stop Joplin’s population from draining away, said City Manager Mark Rohr. Homes were used for years after Hurricane Katrina. FEMA has extended housing beyond 18 months in other recent disasters, including the Iowa floods of 2008. “We are at the point in time where our residents need to begin resuming some self-sufficiency and part of that process includes paying for their own housing,” Sturner said. They can apply for a reduced rate, based on income and other factors, said Barb Sturner, a FEMA external affairs specialist. FEMA decided recently to allow people to stay in the housing until as late as next June at monthly rents of $757 for three-bedroom units and $595 for two-bedroom models. 9.įederal law sets an 18-month limit on free housing after disasters. Those still in the FEMA homes will be expected to start paying rent on Nov. RENTAL PAYMENTS TO STARTĪs people found other places to live, units were removed and put up for auction. ![]() “There’s no yard and there’s not a bunch of other kids around to play with.” It is the only home her youngest child, age 1, has ever known. “It’s a place to live, but it’s not really a place to raise a family,” said Angie Edwards, as her 6-year-old son, Cameron, kicked a soccer ball against a concrete tornado shelter. So are the porch railings, the gravel driveways, even the fire hydrants. The mobile home parks stand out for their sterile appearance. Some residents told of financial and other problems that keep them from finding permanent housing. While free, residents said the units are nothing like home. The other 42 are scattered over several other private properties. ![]() Today, 100 homes remain at those sites - several miles from the bustle of a rebuilding Joplin. In the months after the Joplin tornado, FEMA provided 586 mobile homes, most of them clustered in three remote sites on the city’s far north side. Northeast, Joplin shows just how long it can take to recover fully from a major disaster. More than 17 months after the tornado that killed 161 people and destroyed more than 8,000 buildings, the Federal Emergency Management Agency still provides 142 furnished mobile homes free of charge to residents who have no permanent place to live.Īs thousands of people displaced by Hurricane Sandy scramble for rental property and hotel rooms in the U.S. JOPLIN, Mo., Nov 4 (Reuters) - An affordable place to live in the wake of disasters such as superstorm Sandy can become a long-term benefit, as some survivors of the massive 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, can attest.
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