Last residents leave FEMA trailer park in Charlotte County

[Aquawind]

By The Associated Press
Originally posted on October 31, 2006


PUNTA GORDA — Dozens of people left homeless by Hurricane Charley more than two years ago have until midnight to move out of a Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer park in Charlotte County.

FEMA had extended the deadline from September 26th to today to terminate leases and shut down several trailer parks around the state. The parks were set up to provide shelter for about 17,000 people who lost their homes in the back-to-back hurricanes of 2004.

FEMA initially promised to provide free temporary housing for 18 months, and allowed residents to rent the trailers at reduced cost for an additional six months.

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... 31040/1075

It's tough to find affordable housing down here unfortuantely..

[Lindaloo]

Then that city should come up with a solution to house its citizens. I know down here on the coast, they are using the FEMA trailers for drug manufacturing (especially in the parks). Some of them are not even residents of Mississippi. We had enough problems after Katrina with getting our own people places to live. But yet, these druggies are coming to Mississippi and living in FEMA trailers and reaping the benefits. They are now in jail and we the taxpayer are now housing them.

Pascagoula had FEMA pick up alot of trailers because illegal immigrants were using them.

Sorry Paul, but the mere mention of FEMA trailers gets my blood boiling.

[Aquawind]

Sorry Paul, but the mere mention of FEMA trailers gets my blood boiling.

LOL It's OK! I feel the same way..

It's because of our housing problems that FEMA was forced to extend and rent these out.. Housing here is a another issue in itself. You are exactly correct related to crime. The people who are not adjusting at this point are abusing the system and not taking control of thier lives. We had a major problem with Crime in the trailers as well.. People have to take control of themselves.. Something most people have learned after the last couple of Hurricane seasons.. Keyword most.. well hopefully most..lol

Over 2 years is abuse of the system..

[george_r_1961]

I know down here on the coast, they are using the FEMA trailers for drug manufacturing (especially in the parks).

Seems everywhere that trailer parks are known for crime..whether they be privately owned or FEMA. People in FEMA parks need to be reminded that they are refugees, not guests or permanent residents. They need to make an honest effort to find other housing and if they cant despite their best efforts, then and only then should the government step in to help. There are people with health issues etc that will surely need help.

We had a major problem with Crime in the trailers as well..

One way to attack that problem is to have random unnannounced inspections. The tiniest amount of illegal drugs should be cause for immediate eviction and arrest. Agreeing to these inspections would be required prior to moving in. You get rid of the drugs you get rid of the crime. Period.

[Lindaloo]

The unannounced inspections are what is netting these drug manufacturers. FEMA went to one of their trailers to be inspected but the two residents would not let them in. They called Pascagoula police and is how they found the meth lab. This one was not in a park though. This one was about 3 blocks from the police dept. lol.

Most of the elderly that are in trailers are not in the parks. They are on their land waiting for grant money to rebuild. It is hard to find contractors that are legit.

My neighbor had to tear his house down. They have 4 young boys and they have two FEMA trailers. Firefighters from Kentucky are here building their home. Gonna be a nice one too! He works for the fire department here on the fire/rescue.

[Alladin]

FEMA should not be involved in providing housing or flood insurance.

[Lindaloo]

No one said FEMA was helping them get flood insurance. FEMA and the local government should try to help these people find affordable housing. Here on the MS Coast, most of the housing was washed away.

[Aquawind]

FEMA mobile homes still haven't arrived in S.D.
By Peter Harriman
Argus Leader
PUBLISHED: November 3, 2006


PUBLISHED: November 3, 2006
Federal Emergency Management Agency mobile homes that were originally intended to shelter hurricane victims last year but have been sitting unused in Arkansas were supposed to be redirected to Indian reservations, including those in South Dakota, to ease housing congestion.

Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., worked to include a provision in the Homeland Security Appropriations conference report to make the transfer possible.

But the trailers haven’t escaped federal bureaucracy yet.

According to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, FEMA is doing an inventory to determine how many of the buildings are excess stock and can be sent to reservations. Sometime this month, FEMA and Department of the Interior officials hope to figure out a procedure for tribes to apply for the mobile homes.

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... S/61103027

Geesh.. They don't even know how many units they have.. in storage.. amazing bureaucracy..they can't even count..

[Lindaloo]

We have plenty of them empty down here. A whole park was removed in about 2 weeks, thank goodness!! No more foot traffic and I feel safe again.

That article is funny to me Paul. They were building the dang things at a park here. Guess they forgot to count them. lol.

[Aquawind]

Charlotte County buys trailers from FEMA
By The Associated Press
Originally posted on November 15, 2006


Charlotte County leaders agreed to buy three mobile homes and about 20 trailers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to resell them to Hurricane Charley victims who are still without permanent housing.

County commissioners voted Tuesday to begin buying the homes from FEMA for $500, then sell them to the residents for the same amount.

Three of the units are in a trailer park set up by FEMA after the August 2004 storm to house residents who lost their homes. They will be moved to private trailer parks or other private property.

A handful of units remain in the park, which once had 551 trailers. Federal and local officials want to close it soon. FEMA said the agency may end up taking legal action to evict remaining residents who aren’t trying to help themselves.

FEMA spokesman Josh Wilson said some of the families have federal vouchers that will help them move into low-income housing. Others plan to buy their trailers directly from FEMA, which would relocate them.

The county will also buy about 20 FEMA trailers in which Charlotte families continue to live alongside their hurricane-damaged homes

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... 50011/1075

It will be nice to get rid of the nasty reminder along the Interstate.. Hopefully it will be a few years before another is needed.. $500 is cheap. The county did a nice thing for the people with destroyed homes I guess.. Amazing they haven't been fixed. Evidently no insurance would be my guess. Now ship the others up to South Dakota FEMA like you said you would..

[Aquawind]

Well so much for deadlines..lol Finally Fema City is empty. All from little ole Charlie in 2004..

Last residents leave FEMA trailer park in Charlotte County
Associated Press

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

PUNTA GORDA — A temporary government trailer park that sheltered homeless Hurricane Charley refugees for more than two years finally closed down as the remaining residents moved out, officials said.

As residents continued to ignore move-out deadlines last year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency offered the handful of remaining families housing at a private mobile home park until September, FEMA said.

The remaining residents of what became known as “FEMA City” moved out Tuesday, with one couple spending a final night because the water wasn’t turned on yet in their new trailer.

The park adjacent to the Charlotte County airport held 551 trailers and more than 1,500 people after Charley came ashore in August 2004.

Because the storm destroyed much of the area’s low-income housing, many trailer park residents had trouble finding other places to live.

[Lindaloo]

They keep extending the deadline here in MS. I did not know this many people lived here in Pascagoula that are in those FEMA parks. I am going to guess that those people are not even from this area. They need to get out, get a job and find themselves somewhere to live, instead of living off the government yet again.

[Aquawind]

Time to make a purchase..

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... 30392/1053

Weathered FEMA trailers on block
Hurricane Charley homes auctioned as is at a loss