Clean, Safe Housing for Affected Residents Must Be the Top Priority, Senators Say
Minot, ND – September 6, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Senators Kent Conrad and John Hoeven led a group of community officials and representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today to examine the progress being made to build temporary housing for those who lost their homes in the Souris River flood. The group inspected a temporary housing site on the east side of Minot before viewing student housing being built at Minot State University.
“Securing clean and safe housing for the thousands of families that were forced from their homes must be the focus of the next step in our recovery,” Senator Conrad said. “Helping the people of Minot get back on their feet will be long, and it will be difficult — but it will happen. And I am committed to helping build the strongest possible partnership among federal, state and local leadership to provide housing for those in need as quickly as possible.”
“We’re working hard to help the Minot area with their recovery, and I expect the area to receive more than $500 million in federal assistance,” Senator Hoeven said. “To date, FEMA Individual Assistance has provided more than $86 million in grants for homeowners, and the Small Business Administration has granted $135 million in low interest loans to help largely homeowners, and also businesses. The Corps has provided $25 million in direct assistance, and we’re working to secure additional hazard mitigation funds for home buyouts. In addition, FEMA public assistance will provide 90 percent of the cost to replace schools that were damaged or destroyed, along with parks, zoos, streets and other public infrastructure. We’re committed to doing all we can to secure federal assistance in partnership with the state and local communities to help our citizens in the Minot region recover from the flood.”
Senator Conrad noted that there are still more than one hundred people being sheltered by the American Red Cross and the River of Life Church in Minot. The Senators were joined on the inspection by Minot Mayor Curt Zimbelman, City Manager David Waind, as well as Jim Jensen and Connie Feist, the co-chairs of the Housing Committee in Minot.
FEMA provides temporary housing units to flood victims while they look to secure more permanent housing. Modular Homes are being placed at sites in Minot and Burlington. Senator Conrad said the goal is to have these group sites built by the end of September. FEMA has also placed homes on private lots for homeowners to live in while they repair their homes.
Senators Conrad and Hoeven and the community leaders inspected a 210-acre site that will be able to accommodate 600 units. The Senators also met with Dr. David Fuller, President of Minot State University to discuss the school’s housing challenges.
Many Minot State University students and faculty lost their homes during the flood. To help ease that burden, the University purchased ten individual Olympic village-style units to be used as on-campus housing. President Fuller said the university has suspended the requirement that all first-year students reside on campus allowing students to live at home this school year. The university has also purchased eight efficiency apartments near campus for displaced faculty.
As of August 16, more than $250 million in federal disaster assistance has been allocated to the state. Of this amount, $87.3 million has been approved for temporary housing and essential home repairs, including $85 million allocated in Ward County.
