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Subscribe to RSSAbout a hundred homeless Sandy refugees in New Jersey were left without a place to stay for several hours on Saturday as a FEMA housing program appeared to run out on them.
At one point, they were being told to shelter at a church in Brick Township where volunteers were trying to find replacement accommodations for them.
NBC New York has learned that when Gov. Chris Christie learned of the situation, he ordered his Department of Community Affairs to work with FEMA to place them in alternate motel rooms.
"We're not going to let people be out on the street," said DCA Commissioner Richard Constable.
At the last minute the night before(on Friday night), a FEMA spokesman said a two week extension to the Transitional Shelter Assistance program had been granted, but that some of the 1500 or so families still sheltering in motels probably would not be notified until Saturday morning, just before they would have been forced to check out.
The hundred or so who ended up losing their motel rooms never got word Saturday morning they could have stayed, according to Constable, and that's when the state jumped in.
FEMA leaves many Sandy victims languishing
Working with FEMA, the families were finally contacted by late Saturday afternoon or early evening, and all were placed in new motel rooms, where they can stay for the next two weeks, which is the duration of the program's extension.
"All families who were displaced were relocated by Saturday night," Constable said.
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Good on the Governor for staying on top of what goes on his watch, however, on the flip side is it very difficult to find these displaced people new housing? I am not being sarcastic, but seriously, is housing that difficult to obtain to get these people back to a somewhat normal life.
tforu, to answer your question, yes after a large disaster it is very hard to find housing for those who were displaced. There are several reasons: (1) Even rental housing may have sustained damage and the owners may choose to not fix them back up; (2) Many of the displaced refuse to move to another area to live even though their choice of area may not have anything for them to return to; (3) Unfortunately, many of them also will not look for or move to another area because FEMA has them in a place where they can be sort of comfortable and are not having to pay rent and such. It is bad to say this, but if someone really researched it (if they could get the information) many of those that are still displaced are probably poor, on welfare, and are so used to receiving government assistance that they are not trying to help themselves to anything but more freebies. When disasters strike, you see some who work hard to get back into their homes or into a new one; some who are depressed for a while then pack up and move on into something better, and some who refuse to leave the shelters they are in until they are forced out of them. Those last few are always the loudest about NOT getting the help they need even though they are really not trying to help themselves. That is why so many groups that aide disaster victims almost go broke trying to help them.
Globalqueen: It's difficult to accept that all these people are simply lazy and won't help themselves. We don't how many are elderly or disabled, for one thing. It's convenient to blame the victim, so we don't have to feel badly about someone out in the cold and homeless through no fault of his/her own, but it certainly doesn't look at reality.
(And they are, btw, displaced, not refugees, and I know you didn't call them that. I'm protesting NBC's use of the term. )
I'm also curious about private insurance coverage. This was also a problem with Katrina, where the private companies didn't want to pay off claims. Okay, I understand the feds back all flood insurance, but there still seems to be other factors, such as wind damage, that should be covered by private insurance providers.
And why can't we get appropriations for rebuilding after Sandy? We've not had problems getting that in the past, and as a nation we should assist those areas hit the hardest by 'acts of God.' No state can afford that kind of cost, especially considering most states cannot run deficits or borrow money for these kinds of projects. Instead we get a congress that wants to call them 'takers' and turns its back. That is shameful.
Haddie, if there is flood damage, the private insurance isn't going to cover anything. That's what FLOOD insurance is for.
I thought Obozo had this all straightened out. Wasn't he the one who said he would make sure that all the people were taken care of. And now 2mos later, in the middle of winter, many still don't have homes.
Yes obama isnt doing enough with Sandy, neither is congress, Bush didn't do hardly anything with Katrina (or even really try it seemed to me). But I think what stands out in all of this is that the federal government doesnt seem really able to handle these type of large crisis that displace multitudes of people. State governments also seem unable to do so. Kinda scary really.
Too little to late has been FEMA's reputation. That aside, the insurance squabbles over "wind and wave" are not to be believed. As to flood insurance in coastal areas, the cost after several hurricanes in past years, just went through the roof. I sold a Florida condo almost ten years ago, in part due to the rising insurance costs, taxes, an overly restrictive covenant, and the cost of fuel to go to and from.
Sandy funding has been one of many things enmeshed in politics, and held to ransom by the Republicans. Blame the Republican majority House if you must.
With all the fund rasiers and all the money appropriated through FEMA, you would think that everyone of these people would either be back in their homes or close to it, but here we are three months later and people are still homeless with no end in sight. We have a very corrupt government that cares more about staying in politics than protecting the people they represent.
Charlie 757 and all the other GOP Bashers....
It seems to me there was a bill passed that Multi-BILLION dollar package for relief.
Harry Reid filled the first one with "PORK" and the House would not pass it.
After review it was finally approved by the House.
So Please Explain What the GOP Hasn't Done.
AP) – The House has overwhelmingly approved $9.7 billion to pay flood insurance claims for the many home and business owners flooded out by Superstorm Sandy.
http://www.newser.com/story/160419/house-approves-97b-in-sandy-storm-aid.html
WASHINGTON (KABC) -- The U.S. House of Representatives approved $50.7 billion in emergency aid Tuesday for victims of October's Superstorm Sandy on the East Coast. The House added $33.7 billion to an earlier aid package.
The measure moves now to the Senate. The Senate is expected to take up the measure Tuesday.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/national_world&id=8955776
Charlie...just another LIbtard a$$hole trying to blame everyone but his own WORTHLESS, INEPT party of A$$HOLES...you are a true DUMBocart blowhard, you panty-waist SOB...
Why don't I see posts similar to the ones about Bush mishandling the victims of Katrina???? Could it be that all the pre-planning isn't what the libs thought it would be, or do. Face it, like it or not, the problem is a lot bigger than just driving down the road and fixing all the problems that people encounter in one of these storms. Why didn't odumba having 10,000 house trailers sitting 50 miles away waiting to house people? Why wasn't there a line of restaurants and hospitals built over the weekend to take care of these people? Having worked on the Florida end of Katina, with the Red Cross, you really don't want to know the Bu*l Sh*t that we were fed by a LOT of people for weeks after the storm......just to get $$$$$$. Believe me, you do not want to know the crap people came up with to get $$$$ that could have gone to those that needed it.
Obama got re-elected so now he doesn't care. He's to busy trying to make 11 million "Illegals" american citizens to compete with us legal ones to further destroy those looking to find employment. He plans to work on that this week. Mr. President, concentrate on those who are here legally and need help.
Obama just gave Myanmar ( BURMA ) $125,000,000,00, plus set up a office of the USAID--A U.S. goverment agency-----United States Aid for International Development---the United States tax payer will rebuild the nation of Myanmar-- its roads--schools--power plants---Egypt gets $1.5 billion dollars per year---The U.S. tax payer paid for the development of a industrial park in Haiti--614-acres---FEMA NEEDS TO HELPAMERICANS IN NEED-- Then again a trailer park in Volusia County--Florida was (Oak Hill ) destroyed by a tornado--80-trailers---FEMA would not even give these people loans----SAD SAD SAD
This is very scary/sad on how our special services/gov't handle different situations....It always seem to me that they really have no plan or idea on how to deal with "major catastrophes "! Hey Uncle Sam, no thanks ! We will take care of ourselves just like we are doing now a days....Go help out some other country,you are good for that !
CAPT.J------------------------ you hit the nail on the head
It does not matter any more--the United States let---CN00C--Ltd.--buy from the Chesapeake Energy Corp. 33% of all the oil and natural gas lying beneath Colorado and Wyoming---and Canada sold the rights their oil fields owned by the ---Nexon Corp--some of the oil fields lie in the Gulf of Mexico--- The newest law suit to go to the ---SUPREME COURT---Affirmative action in higher education--FISHER VS UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN--A white applicant is challenges the admissions practices which include race as a factor---Abigail Fisher who was in the top 12% of her class--Blacks and Latinos had lower grades---but had first preference-----The whites do not get a fair shake
capt.j---cnooc-ltd----is a china corporation---based in china
Sorry but we can't help our people BUT we will help the people of Burma.
In other news not being reported by the main stream media....Obama violates 'Stimulus' Law by not releasing Quarterly reports.
You are right ----JoAnn-666954-----Obama gave 400-schlorships to the George Towne University--but uou had to be a Mexican living in Mexico to receive the sschlorships---Also with the $1.5 billion dollars we give Egypt every year---Egypt bought nine Gulf Stream jets to fly the Generals around in----with the United states tax payer having to matain the jets----cost over $10,000,000.00 a year--$333.000,000.00 dollars so far-------SEE:
HTTP://WWW.USOPENBORDERS.COM HTTP://WWW.ILLEGALIMMIGRATIONSTATISTICS.ORG-------------------HTTP://WWW.USAID.GOV/WHO-WE-ARE.GOV
Bunch of racist clowns! Before the election, President Obama TOLD US that HE'D take care of EVERYTHING!!! To any "people" living in any area that was affected by Sandy, quit your complaining and THANK GOD (like Chrissy Matthews) that YOU have a LEADER like President Barack Hussein Obama on their side!! If you're still suffering, if you still have no home, no heat, no hope, then you're probably guilty of being a racist, or at the very least, voted for that rich guy......No not that one....the white guy.
A strained brain is a tragedy! Steve,I implore you to take your meds and a nappy.When you awaken,you will feel better and your brain won't be strained as much as it is now.I'll stay awake and watch out for the armadrillians while you rest.Nighty,night!
Wow, mas098...I expected SO much more from a Democrat...or maybe I didn't.
the elections over, O'bum'a won, the lamestream media has gotten all the 'good' publicity out of this disaster for O'bum'a and the dumocrats, they have moved on to the next topic where they can bash the opposition and the sheeple who voted for the dumocrats still don't get it, no surprises here... think pelosi, durbin, schumer, menendez, reid, bloomberg, cuomo(s) and the list of anti-American pol's is limitless and sustainable by idiot voters, our country is in great peril thanks to those and many others...
Another Obama promise not kept , not much red tape cut , well the election is over and the people of the Sandy storm are worse off than before no fresh water no heat no help with clean up . The upside is 90 % of sandy victims are democrat so they voted for the treatment they are getting help is not on the way .
1. Broken Promise
2. Broken Promise
3. Broken Promise
4. Broken Promise
.........
12,436. Broken Promise
12,437. Broken Promise
.......and the LIES train keeps on a ploughin' through...
Well I see the right wing cry babies are out in force today, with their childish name calling. What a mature bunch. In their simple little minds the president (especially this one) is DIRECTLY responsible for everything. Simple pronouncements from simple minds. It's really sad how dumbed down some people in this country have become.
Should we still blame Bush?Was it Bushs' fault?
I think it is Bushs' fault because he allowed the 'bailout' of Katrina 'Victims' - I saw people on the news state they didn't buy insurance because they 'had better things to do with their money'. That's ok with me - don't buy insurance - but don't expect me to buy you a new house if you have a problem....
The situation for these fellow Americans, is way beyond disastrous!! Here is another classic failure on the part of central government! Here also is an opportunity to unseat those responsible for this human misery!!
Again, here is another incident of a classic failure of central government - On the other hand, here is an opportunity to unseat every politician responsible for this human misery & suffering!!
I was in Louisiana,over a year after Katrina hit NO.The city I was in was about 150 miles northwest of NO.There were still a number of Katrina refugees staying in motels where I was trying to find a room.Matter of fact,I had to go to 4-5 different motels ,each a farther distence from town ,just to find an available room.FEMA ws paying for their stay because the manager told me so.Seems he and other owners wanted to get rid of most of these folks for a variety of reasons,including fights,loud music,unrully behavior,noise all niht long,drugs,alcohol and just everyday mayhem normally not associated with this town of its' citizensBut the federal governemnt demanded these refugees be allowed to stay.Now Sandy and it hasn't been 6 months and everyone has forgotten them.Maybe it is a racial thing.Most of Katrinas' victims were black and most of Sandy's victims are white.
They are self-made 'victims'..These problems are a matter between the homeowner and their Insurance Company... It shouldn't have been done for Katrina people - and it shouldn't be done for Sandy people..Oh - you didn't have insurance? not my problem..Oh - you didn't have enough insuarance? - You become part insurer..What is the problem??? If you bought 'loss of use' you should be in the hotel of your choice...oh you didn't buy loss of use? - Why is that my problem???
Many of the victims were in rental homes and apartments, Ned. You cannot force their landlord to have insurance, and in a place like NYC, housing is very tight, very hard to find another place. Plus many of those who are displaced DO have insurance, it just takes a long time to get the insurance money and then to arrange to have the work done on the house. A badly-damaged house can't be fixed overnight.
Renter's insurance tends to cover stuff inside a rented property and cover personal liability. Renters, a majority of those who live in NYC, do not get anything for external damage. It isn't their property. But they still have to live somewhere. And part of the reason rent is so high in NYC is that there is not a lot of supply (available places) but there is high demand.
This isn't like the Joplin Tornadoes or Hurricane Katrina where many folks owned their homes but were not responsible owners by purchasing insurance.
Thats what you get for being white. Barack Obama hates white people.
Politics aside................. After Katrina the media was all over the "suffering victims" and you were not allowed to call them refugees. They were called evacuees, remember? Well times have changed haven't they. The liberals are blaming the victims. What a bunch of trolls. These people have no place t go through no fault of their own and the larger and more powerful the central federal government... the less we will see of charity and response.
Ned, it would be hard to argue with you but I feel certain the bleeding hearts will.
The victims of the storm are not refugees, they're not exiled, the more concise term would evacuees.
I feel really sorry for the people left homeles by this devastating storm, but unfortuntley for them, the Dear Leader won his re-election and has moved on to more important issues.
...like a $16-million dollar American taxpayer-funded Hawaiian vacation and MORE LIES to the American people...POS Pretender-in-Chief...
Tater Boy, do you really think if Romney and his cronies were in power it would be any different? If anything it would be worse, since Republicans want to gut the government of all social services, they only want to give handouts to business and the military.
Spoken like a true believer of the Dear Leader. Try putting down the Kool-Aid. And if you do, you will see that both parties play political partisans like you as fools.
homesick yank
You must be one of the richest people in the country... I mean what with your crystal ball you can see what WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF... I am sure you change the Ball so that it tells the Future also.
Homesick...go yank yourself to your Blowbama poster and STFU, uneducated Libtard...
Maybe they have no place to live but thank god they can get free birth control pills.
Buffarilla
And Abortions
...and free Blowbama phones and food stamps....
American citizens in rural areas have been going through this all along. Tornadoes literally destroy swaths of rural communities each year and they are totally ignored by the federal government to survive on their own. If an event is large enough to get a name like Katrina or Sandy it seems the government cannot spend enough nor do enough stupid things to help. The trailers after Katrina were one of the biggest blunders with those to whom they were provided eventually suing the government due to fumes in the brand new trailers. The trailer manufacturer built them and made the profit but then the taxpayers are sued for paying for them.
""We're not going to let people be out on the street,"" ............... ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha h a WHAT A JOKE !!!!!!
Sandy people are special , all the rest of you "out on the street"....... F-OFF.
(who is dumb enough to give a politician money?)
But--But---we have the best country and best FREEDOM in the world. (compared to Iraq/Afghanistan) probably true--but compared to UK/Germany/France/Japan, we are like # 15!
Let us stop the BS and get this USA back to Number at least 2 or 3 (it is a big country after all)--but I am afraid only politics is what we are after-not fixings!
Good thing obama cut all the Red Tape and was going to stay on top of this until the end.
What?!?!? Sandy refugees???
I thought Obama fixed all that.
The Obama-mania media hasn't had much to say about it..... imagine the lefty outrage if a republican were in office.
Pure HYPOCRISY from the LIBTARDS. If you don't agree with their stilted, UN-American, SOCIALISTIC ideologies, and Blowbama's Marxist agenda, you are labeled a "racist" or an "obstructionist" or (my favorite) a NAZI. The pure and unabashed contempt I have for DUMBocrats burns hotter than a 1000 white-hot suns.... BAST*RDS. Of course, the POS Pretender-in-Chief got hs "photo-op" and jetted off to Lost Vegas....Thanks for the SHAM poses and the Bullsh*t speeches, Mister Jokebama. You are Inept and worthless...and those are your GOOD points.
What???? Obama promised to take care of these people, but therein lies the problem. Obama never delivers on any promise.