Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the Biden administration denied the state’s request for funds aimed at repairing homes damaged in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
The Republican-led Florida House has been spearheading an initiative that would provide trailers and other recreational vehicles to residents impacted by September’s Category 4 storm but who may not be eligible for direct housing under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) plan.
On Monday, DeSantis said FEMA refused to grant the $25 million in emergency relief needed for the hurricane recovery.
“Unfortunately, we got word last week that FEMA had denied our request for funding our state-led housing initiatives, citing their quote ‘limited authority,'” the governor said at a press conference. “But we’re not just gonna sit there and take no for an answer. We wanna cut through bureaucracy. We wanna bring relief to impacted Floridians regardless of whether FEMA wants to be a part of that.”
Wade Vandervort/AFP/Getty; Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty
DeSantis announced that the state will give millions in state funds to help carry out the housing program, which he said 1,500 people have already applied to over the last two weeks. The money will go to purchasing building materials as well as resources “needed to get a home into a condition that will allow a displaced resident to return safely while they complete permanent repairs on their home.”
DeSantis said that the state would also provide up to $35.2 million to continue supporting unmet needs through Florida’s disaster fund, which Florida first lady Casey DeSantis established ahead of Hurricane Ian’s landfall.
“This is where you really break through the bureaucracy and you maximize the dollars that are coming in,” the first lady of Florida said, adding, “It’s not a government go at it alone, but it’s really everybody uniting for the benefit of everybody here who are affected by the hurricane.”
As of last week, FEMA has provided more than $2.97 billion in federal grants, disaster loans and flood insurance payments to Florida for Hurricane Ian recovery. The federal agency has also extended the period of…
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