News Releases Archive
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Wendy Healy, 203-744-6367
Wendy@LDRNY.org
LDRNY URGES FEMA TO EXPAND AND EXTEND GUIDELINES; FIX THE PROBLEM
NEW YORK, NY -- Jan. 27, 2003 -- Being caught under the wave effects of September 11, an increasing number of people are coming with their eviction notices to small community, private and faith-based charities. These smaller charities and disaster agencies have provided for immediate and long term needs for persons and families who do not fit into the narrow geographic and economic categories of the Mortgage and Rental Assistance (MRA) program run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“Traditionally smaller disaster agencies fill the gaps left by programs not meeting unique needs following a disaster, but FEMA’s criteria and lack of language and culturally specific outreach have left gaping holes in the response,” commented Dr. John J. Scibilia, Executive Director of Lutheran Disaster Response of New York (LDRNY). “Our agency, and those we support, have not weakened at the knees despite the weight placed on our shoulders because of the inadequacy of MRA. Failure to extend the MRA application deadline and unwillingness to reconsider eligibility criteria could place that last straw on us and leave many out in the cold as we just do not have the resources to meet the kind of increased demand we are seeing with such a narrow FEMA response.”
FEMA has admitted in its internal reviews that it should “focus on improving outreach after events that affect large, diverse populations.” There also seems to be an equal understanding this MRA program implementation was not flexible enough to address economic losses and financial hardships. “FEMA has pointed out they were challenged fitting into an environment where unprecedented offerings of assistance were made. Well there was also unprecedented human need caused by the September 11 terrorist attacks,” Scibilia pointed out. “Lets fix this problem, especially since it seems we all agree there is indeed a huge problem. LDRNY depends on the good will of donors making modest personal gifts, churches making special gifts and holding fund raising events like bake sales to help those effected by September 11. How long can the Federal Government and FEMA expect us to provide the security of a home to the 9/11 economically impacted with our limited resources? It’s not good enough to permit cookie sales and car washes to fund and fill the gaps, which we all agree exist, in programs meeting human need caused as a direct result of September 11.”
LDRNY, directly and through its partner agencies in the greater New York area, has provided close to $7M in assistance including individual food, job and housing assistance, counseling, community based programs, day camps for children, emergency |
