Some 350 Iowa families living in FEMA trailers will soon have the option of buying the trailers. The majority of FEMA’s trailers in Iowa are located near Cedar Rapids, with other large pockets in Black Hawk and Louisa counties. Lori Maach of FEMA’s Iowa Disaster Field Office says the voluntary program could be convenient for many families.
"It becomes their permanent housing plan. It speeds up the recovery process for them. They’re located in a unit, they do not have to move to an apartment or a house and it may be something that they’ve determined that they would like to be a mobile home owner," Maach says. She says it is also a benefit for the government.
Maach says,"It is a cost saving to the government to look at selling the units. It also does help with the permanent housing plan for individuals affected by the disaster, so it’s two fold." Maach says residents have been sent information on the program and must decide whether they wish to stay in trailers and
She says they have 30 days to reply if they have interest in buying the trailers. Maach says the price of units will vary depending on size and whether they are new or used. She says they will cost less than $17,000. There were once around 600 FEMA trailers in use in the state following the disasters last year.