Latest news with #DirectLease
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Rep. Judy Chu and advocates push FEMA for more housing assistance for Eaton Fire survivors
Federal agencies must do more to house struggling victims from January's Eaton Fires, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) and advocacy groups argued Tuesday. Chu hosted a roundtable at the Altadena Library with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and other agencies, where a dozen organizations assisting fire survivors pleaded for more assistance. Even with the availability of federal vouchers and other housing aid, thousands of people remain bouncing between hotel rooms, living out of their cars or in other unstable housing situations, advocates said. 'Survivors of the Eaton Fire are slipping through the cracks,' Chu said at a press conference following the event. Read more: After disasters, FEMA leases apartments for survivors. But not after the L.A. fires Chu is urging FEMA to authorize a housing program called Direct Lease where FEMA directly rents apartments for disaster survivors who cannot find somewhere to live on their own. The Times reported this month that FEMA hasn't implemented Direct Lease in Los Angeles even though it's commonly made available after natural disasters nationwide, including the 2023 wildfires in Maui. Nearly 13,000 homes were destroyed in January's wildfires with more than half the losses in Altadena and surrounding areas. FEMA and CalOES officials have said that their data shows thousands of rental units available across L.A. County, making the program unnecessary. 'We know from anecdotal evidence that that cannot be true,' Chu said. 'It is far from the truth.' Fire survivors have faced numerous barriers to finding permanent housing while they decide on rebuilding their homes, advocates said. Landlords' income requirements are too high. Potential tenants' credit scores are too low. Some landlords aren't accepting the vouchers FEMA is providing survivors. And the agency is including apartments in the Antelope Valley and other areas far from Altadena in its assessment of L.A.'s rental market. By not taking these factors into account, FEMA officials are ignoring needs on the ground, advocates said. 'There is a huge gap between availability and vacancy and accessibility,' said Jasmin Shupper, president of Greenline Housing Foundation, a local nonprofit. The push for additional housing aid comes amid widespread cuts to FEMA and resistance from the Trump administration for disaster spending nationwide. On Tuesday, the president threatened to strip federal funds from California if the state continued to allow transgender athletes to compete in girl's sports. Read more: As climate hazards worsen, Trump moves to weaken FEMA and shift disaster response onto states Chu said that FEMA already has provided $132 million in assistance, including $40 million for help with housing. She said that money for Direct Lease was available through the existing federal disaster allocation following January's wildfires. She noted that she supported the state's request to Trump and Congress for $40 billion for long-term recovery efforts. FEMA and CalOES didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on Chu's request. After Times reporting earlier this month, state emergency officials said they were reevaluating an earlier decision not to advocate for Direct Lease. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Rep. Judy Chu and advocates push FEMA for more housing assistance for Eaton Fire survivors
Federal agencies must do more to house struggling victims from January's Eaton Fires, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) and advocacy groups argued Tuesday. Chu hosted a roundtable at the Altadena Library with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and other agencies, where a dozen organizations assisting fire survivors pleaded for more assistance. Even with the availability of federal vouchers and other housing aid, thousands of people remain bouncing between hotel rooms, living out of their cars or in other unstable housing situations, advocates said. 'Survivors of the Eaton Fire are slipping through the cracks,' Chu said at a press conference following the event. Read more: After disasters, FEMA leases apartments for survivors. But not after the L.A. fires Chu is urging FEMA to authorize a housing program called Direct Lease where FEMA directly rents apartments for disaster survivors who cannot find somewhere to live on their own. The Times reported this month that FEMA hasn't implemented Direct Lease in Los Angeles even though it's commonly made available after natural disasters nationwide, including the 2023 wildfires in Maui. Nearly 13,000 homes were destroyed in January's wildfires with more than half the losses in Altadena and surrounding areas. FEMA and CalOES officials have said that their data shows thousands of rental units available across L.A. County, making the program unnecessary. 'We know from anecdotal evidence that that cannot be true,' Chu said. 'It is far from the truth.' Fire survivors have faced numerous barriers to finding permanent housing while they decide on rebuilding their homes, advocates said. Landlords' income requirements are too high. Potential tenants' credit scores are too low. Some landlords aren't accepting the vouchers FEMA is providing survivors. And the agency is including apartments in the Antelope Valley and other areas far from Altadena in its assessment of L.A.'s rental market. By not taking these factors into account, FEMA officials are ignoring needs on the ground, advocates said. 'There is a huge gap between availability and vacancy and accessibility,' said Jasmin Shupper, president of Greenline Housing Foundation, a local nonprofit. The push for additional housing aid comes amid widespread cuts to FEMA and resistance from the Trump administration for disaster spending nationwide. On Tuesday, the president threatened to strip federal funds from California if the state continued to allow transgender athletes to compete in girl's sports. Read more: As climate hazards worsen, Trump moves to weaken FEMA and shift disaster response onto states Chu said that FEMA already has provided $132 million in assistance, including $40 million for help with housing. She said that money for Direct Lease was available through the existing federal disaster allocation following January's wildfires. She noted that she supported the state's request to Trump and Congress for $40 billion for long-term recovery efforts. FEMA and CalOES didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on Chu's request. After Times reporting earlier this month, state emergency officials said they were reevaluating an earlier decision not to advocate for Direct Lease. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Rep. Judy Chu and advocates push FEMA for more housing assistance for Eaton Fire survivors
Federal agencies must do more to house struggling victims from January's Eaton Fires, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) and advocacy groups argued Tuesday. Chu hosted a roundtable at the Altadena Library with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and other agencies, where a dozen organizations assisting fire survivors pleaded for more assistance. Even with the availability of federal vouchers and other housing aid, thousands of people remain bouncing between hotel rooms, living out of their cars or in other unstable housing situations, advocates said. 'Survivors of the Eaton Fire are slipping through the cracks,' Chu said at a press conference following the event. Chu is urging FEMA to authorize a housing program called Direct Lease where FEMA directly rents apartments for disaster survivors who cannot find somewhere to live on their own. The Times reported this month that FEMA hasn't implemented Direct Lease in Los Angeles even though it's commonly made available after natural disasters nationwide, including the 2023 wildfires in Maui. Nearly 13,000 homes were destroyed in January's wildfires with more than half the losses in Altadena and surrounding areas. FEMA and CalOES officials have said that their data shows thousands of rental units available across L.A. County, making the program unnecessary. 'We know from anecdotal evidence that that cannot be true,' Chu said. 'It is far from the truth.' Fire survivors have faced numerous barriers to finding permanent housing while they decide on rebuilding their homes, advocates said. Landlords' income requirements are too high. Potential tenants' credit scores are too low. Some landlords aren't accepting the vouchers FEMA is providing survivors. And the agency is including apartments in the Antelope Valley and other areas far from Altadena in its assessment of L.A.'s rental market. By not taking these factors into account, FEMA officials are ignoring needs on the ground, advocates said. 'There is a huge gap between availability and vacancy and accessibility,' said Jasmin Shupper, president of Greenline Housing Foundation, a local nonprofit. The push for additional housing aid comes amid widespread cuts to FEMA and resistance from the Trump administration for disaster spending nationwide. On Tuesday, the president threatened to strip federal funds from California if the state continued to allow transgender athletes to compete in girl's sports. Chu said that FEMA already has provided $132 million in assistance, including $40 million for help with housing. She said that money for Direct Lease was available through the existing federal disaster allocation following January's wildfires. She noted that she supported the state's request to Trump and Congress for $40 billion for long-term recovery efforts. FEMA and CalOES didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on Chu's request. After Times reporting earlier this month, state emergency officials said they were reevaluating an earlier decision not to advocate for Direct Lease.
USA Today
31-01-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Video of Hurricane Helene survivor moving into apartment captured under Biden
Video of Hurricane Helene survivor moving into apartment captured under Biden | Fact check Show Caption Hide Caption Trump wants FEMA gone after Helene response in North Carolina President Donald Trump said he wants to do away with FEMA at a visit in Asheville, North Carolina which was hit hard by Hurricane Helene. The claim: Video shows woman displaced by Hurricane Helene who Trump helped A Jan. 22 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows a woman crying and talking about how she's relieved to be moving into new temporary housing. "#BREAKING: Western North Carolina residents who have been sitting in FEMA hotels for months, are now being moved rapidly into long-term, fully furnished apartments," reads text within the post, which was originally shared on X. "THE TRUMP EFFECT IS HERE!" The Instagram post garnered more than 250,000 likes in nine days. Other versions of the claim were shared on Instagram, Threads and Facebook. More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page Our rating: False The Federal Emergency Management Agency said the video was captured on Jan. 9 through a program initiated while Joe Biden was president. President Donald Trump was sworn into office more than a week later on Jan. 20. FEMA video predates Trump presidency Trump visited communities in western North Carolina on Jan. 24 to speak to those affected by Hurricane Helene's severe flooding. While there, the president vowed to rebuild the impacted areas "in rapid time." But the video in the Instagram post doesn't show a woman aided by Trump. FEMA shared the video on YouTube on Jan. 17, three days before Trump's inauguration. The video's caption says the woman moved into temporary housing the previous week with the help of FEMA's Direct Lease program. The program is a form of direct temporary housing assistance in which FEMA leases available residential properties for hurricane survivors "whose temporary housing needs cannot be met with other forms of assistance," according to an October 2024 FEMA press release. The agency pays the rent, while the tenant pays for utilities and other costs not covered in the lease. A FEMA spokesperson told USA TODAY the woman in the video moved into her new temporary housing on Jan. 9. This was nearly two weeks before Trump took Helene survivors have been getting approved for apartments since November 2024, the spokesperson said. About 300 applications are being processed and about 150 have been approved for FEMA-approved disaster housing, including five applicants who have moved out for a more permanent solution. Fact check: Trump foreign aid pause not contingent on domestic hurricane, fire recovery FEMA also offers transportable temporary housing units and funding for repairs of vacant multi-family rental properties as part of its direct temporary housing assistance, according to an October 2024 press release. The agency's Direct Lease program has been offered to eligible survivors of natural disasters for years, including those impacted by the 2023 Maui wildfires and Hurricane Ida in 2021. USA TODAY reached out to the Instagram users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The X user couldn't be contacted. Lead Stories and AFP also debunked the claim. Our fact-check sources Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here. USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Video of Hurricane Helene survivor moving into apartment captured under Biden
A Jan. 22 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows a woman crying and talking about how she's relieved to be moving into new temporary housing. "#BREAKING: Western North Carolina residents who have been sitting in FEMA hotels for months, are now being moved rapidly into long-term, fully furnished apartments," reads text within the post, which was originally shared on X. "THE TRUMP EFFECT IS HERE!" The Instagram post garnered more than 250,000 likes in nine days. Other versions of the claim were shared on Instagram, Threads and Facebook. More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page The Federal Emergency Management Agency said the video was captured on Jan. 9 through a program initiated while Joe Biden was president. President Donald Trump was sworn into office more than a week later on Jan. 20. Trump visited communities in western North Carolina on Jan. 24 to speak to those affected by Hurricane Helene's severe flooding. While there, the president vowed to rebuild the impacted areas "in rapid time." But the video in the Instagram post doesn't show a woman aided by Trump. FEMA shared the video on YouTube on Jan. 17, three days before Trump's inauguration. The video's caption says the woman moved into temporary housing the previous week with the help of FEMA's Direct Lease program. The program is a form of direct temporary housing assistance in which FEMA leases available residential properties for hurricane survivors "whose temporary housing needs cannot be met with other forms of assistance," according to an October 2024 FEMA press release. The agency pays the rent, while the tenant pays for utilities and other costs not covered in the lease. A FEMA spokesperson told USA TODAY the woman in the video moved into her new temporary housing on Jan. 9. This was nearly two weeks before Trump took Helene survivors have been getting approved for apartments since November 2024, the spokesperson said. About 300 applications are being processed and about 150 have been approved for FEMA-approved disaster housing, including five applicants who have moved out for a more permanent solution. Fact check: Trump foreign aid pause not contingent on domestic hurricane, fire recovery FEMA also offers transportable temporary housing units and funding for repairs of vacant multi-family rental properties as part of its direct temporary housing assistance, according to an October 2024 press release. The agency's Direct Lease program has been offered to eligible survivors of natural disasters for years, including those impacted by the 2023 Maui wildfires and Hurricane Ida in 2021. USA TODAY reached out to the Instagram users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The X user couldn't be contacted. Lead Stories and AFP also debunked the claim. FEMA (YouTube), Jan. 17, Helene Survivor Finds Hope in FEMA Housing Program FEMA spokesperson, Jan. 29, Email exchange with USA TODAY FEMA, Oct. 24, 2024, Direct Temporary Housing Assistance for Helene Survivors FEMA, Oct. 13, 2024, FEMA Seeking Residential Properties to Lease for Helene Survivors FEMA, Dec. 18, 2023, Frequently Asked Questions About FEMA's Direct Lease Program FEMA, Nov. 4, 2021, Direct Temporary Housing May Provide Options for Hurricane Ida Survivors Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here. USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video of woman moving into FEMA apartment predates Trump | Fact check
