The Federal Emergency Management Agency is transitioning into its permanent housing program following the closing of the Temporary Emergency Tent and Roofing Installation Support program last Wednesday. <\/p>\n
According to FEMA federal coordinating officer Bern Ruiz, FEMA has been in communication with its Region 9 headquarters to discuss the details about the permanent housing program that will be implemented in the CNMI. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re in the process of determining with our headquarters what that home would be, how much it would cost, what we will need in terms of resources for labor and materials to bring here, so once we get to that point where we know how many homes exactly that we\u2019re going to build per household we will be prepared for it,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
As they wait for word from headquarters about the program, FEMA will be screening applicants who are eligible for permanent housing repairs based on the damage sustained by their homes, Ruiz said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on the last count before we closed [the] Disaster Loan Operation Center, we had about 9,400 so we\u2019re calling out to those applicants to determine their eligibility for permanent home construction,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Aside from resources like building materials, Ruiz said that FEMA intends to fly in volunteers but this is still in discussion. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to bring in some volunteers like the Mennonites, the Catholic Charities. \u2026We did that after [Typhoon] Soudelor [in 2015] and we\u2019re going do that again. We fully understand the challenges that the CNMI is faced with in terms of where it is in the Pacific [but] we will be here for as long as it takes to bring the CNMI back to where it was before Mangkhut and Yutu but it\u2019s a lot of work and it\u2019s going to take time,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Ruiz wants to assure the CNMI community that the TETRIS program was only the beginning. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe got roofs, we got people into a dry area, to the tents. I know it\u2019s not the ideal way of living. [but] emergency management is best when locals execute the plans to respond and recover and the CNMI government is there to manage all that and FEMA comes in with support and resources. We\u2019re big and slow, but we\u2019ll get there and we will stay as long as we need to be,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
According to Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services Commissioner Clyde Norita, the Koblerville fire station will now serve as FEMA\u2019s permanent housing program facility. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve shut this down as a Fire Station since the typhoon. The assets have all been moved down to Susupe. This whole base will be turned into that [FEMA] facility. From here they will collect their needed supplies, materials, and head out and start to either rebuild the houses or build permanent houses,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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