A spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says the temporary housing program that brought trailers into Iowa for people to use after the 2008 storms and flooding will be shut down for good in about two months.
FEMA spokesman Charlie Henderson says there were 564 trailers in use in Iowa at the peak — but that number is now down to just over one dozen. Henderson says they do have 16 families or individuals still in the trailers, and he says they are fully aware of the June 27th deadline.
There were 122 families living in the trailers in October of 2009 when FEMA extended the deadline of the program for seven more months. Henderson says six Iowans took up the offer to buy the trailer from the government, and the rest of the 500 or so trailers were sent elsewhere or sold.
Henderson says none of the trailers are being held, he says they have been sent to another federal agency, or sold at auctions. A majority of the trailers were in use in eastern Iowa. Henderson says the June 27th date will mark the end of the individual assistance programs for the 2008 events, but not FEMA’s involvement.
He says they are still very active with the “public assistance” program which includes rebuilding public infrastructure, buy-out programs and demolition programs. Henderson says FEMA will work with those Iowans who are still in the temporary trailers to help them find long-term housing by the June deadline.