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Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) today urged Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long to coordinate with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in order to better address affordable long-term housing solutions for Floridians and Puerto Ricans displaced by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Administrator Long:
Due to Hurricanes Irma and Maria, nearly 90 percent of homes in Puerto Rico were completely destroyed, while 80 to 90 percent of homes in the Florida Keys were destroyed or sustained damage. Many Americans have been forced to seek shelter, and the lack of affordable and long-term housing solutions for displaced survivors of these hurricanes has consistently been cited as a major issue by numerous parties.
While we appreciate the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) efforts to provide immediate help to those who have had their lives uprooted, we remain concerned that long-term housing recovery efforts are not effectively meeting the needs of survivors.
For this reason, we urge FEMA to coordinate with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to address long-term housing solutions to ensure all survivors are being aided in the most efficient and targeted manner. HUD provides a variety of disaster related resources and has significant experience with addressing post-disaster housing issues. This experience is particularly valuable after natural disasters, such as Hurricanes Irma and Maria, have caused unprecedented destruction and left countless individuals in need of housing assistance.
Stable, long-term housing is essential for families to regain normalcy. In recognizing this, we urge you to coordinate with HUD and employ their expertise in addressing long-term housing solutions.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.