FEMA Mobile Homes in Hope: A Look Inside|Channel 7 News

text size: A | A | A

FEMA Mobile Homes in Hope: A Look Inside

posted 8:20 pm Thu November 15, 2007 - Hope, Arkansas

tags: fema • hope • arkansas • mobile

Thursday night we continued our investigation into the millions of dollars worth of emergency housing units FEMA is storing in Hope.

Please Upgrade To Flash!

Channel 7 News - FEMA Mobile Homes in Hope: A Look Inside

related stories:

Wednesday night we told you FEMA has spent more than $420 million on the operation in Hope, including the travel-trailers and mobile homes.

After asking for several weeks, FEMA allowed Channel 7 News access to the Hope site where the mobile homes and travel-trailers are being stored--so we could see for ourselves just what condition they are in after sitting outside for so long.

From the sky and from the ground you can see just how many emergency housing units FEMA is storing in Hope.

(Millford Eversole, Hope Resident) "We couldn't believe it. It's like the world is full of trailers and it looked like a very large, packed trailer court. It's just enormous. We still bring our friends out to see it."

Congressman Mike Ross says he's been fighting for two years to have the units moved to people who have lost their homes and need emergency shelter.

(Congressman Mike Ross, (D) 4^th District) "It’s been a lot of bureaucratic red tape that has resulted in two years later FEMA storing somewhere between 6 and 8,000 fully furnished, brand new, never used manufactured homes in a hay meadow at the airport in Hope Arkansas. It's a symbol of what's wrong with FEMA."

The federal agency says in addition to the 7,000 unused mobile homes, it's also storing about 11,000 used travel-trailers in Hope.

We asked to go inside of both. But due to potentially hazardous levels of formaldehyde in the travel-trailers we were told we could not go inside. That is also why they are no longer being auctioned off. We were, however, given full access to the mobile homes.

Inside the mobile homes are brand new appliances--refrigerators still sealed, stoves that have never been used, and furniture still wrapped in plastic.

A lot of the mobile homes appear to be in pretty good condition but others are showing some wear and tear. You can see a window where water has gotten in and parts of the window have fallen off. One unit in particular has been deemed unserviceable by FEMA.

(Ross) "What doesn't make any sense is for FEMA to be sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars of brand new, never-used mobile homes that were destined for Hurricane Katrina victims, but never made it to them. They are just sitting there, never been used. That makes no sense at all."

(Senator Mark Pryor, (D) Arkansas) "It's just been very frustrating. I'm on the committee that oversees FEMA, and we've been working with FEMA, in fact banging on them, trying to get them to do what's right here, and they just won't do what they need to do.

FEMA says it has earmarked about 1,000 mobile homes to be donated to tribal governments--and another 50 have gone to help California wildfire victims.

(Ross) "There have been a few, as I understand it, that FEMA has sent to a few places around the country after disasters. But getting FEMA off high-center and getting them to move these mobile homes to people in need is like pulling teeth."

That's why Congressman Ross says he introduced legislation last month to authorize the president to transfer the mobile homes to state and local governments and non-profits to help natural disaster victims who lose their homes, even when a federal disaster isn't declared.

(Ross) "That's all I'm after--to get FEMA to do the right thing. And that is help people in their time of need. I'm being forced to do legislatively what FEMA should do on their own."

Ross's office says only about 300 mobile homes are mission-ready, but Eric Smith, head of logistics for FEMA, says most could be ready to use in a matter of days.

(Eric Smith, FEMA Head of Logistics) "To this point we have not had a great need to utilize those assets there."

FEMA says it's now in the process of doing a comprehensive review of its infrastructure to determine just how many emergency housing units it should have in stock.

But Linnea Eversole says she is tired of her tax dollars footing the bill.

(Linnea Eversole, Montana) "I want them to do something about it. I don't want them wasting our money anymore."

(Dennis Ramsey, Hope Mayor) "There's needs for these all over the country. I think there are evidently bureaucratic issues is why they're still sitting here. But it's way over my head. Hopefully at some point they'll be utilized."

(Pryor) "FEMA itself has just totally mismanaged this issue. And the problem is they won't fix it. We've given them different ways, different ideas. We've had two to three hearings on how to fix this and what to do next time. I don't have any assurance it's going to be any better next time."

Senator Pryor now has a new way to help address the issues with FEMA. It's called the FEMA Accountability Act, and it lays out over the course of a year a timeline for FEMA to determine how many emergency housing units it needs to keep on hand for future disasters and a plan to get rid of the rest.

(Pryor) "When it comes to FEMA trailers and mobile homes, enough is enough and I've had enough. I am filing legislation this week to force FEMA to do really what it should have done all along."

Senator Pryor tells us he expects to get broad bipartisan support for his bill, which he thinks will be passed early next year.

Latest Comment on FEMA Mobile Homes in Hope: A Look Inside

bkind2animals

12:27 pm on 11/16/07

pearcy devil...I never said give the homeless a free handout. If you go back and read my other post again, I said to help them become PRODUCTIVE members of society. That means working and paying their way and putting back from which was given! I believe in helping others but I don't believe in giving a constant free handout to those that are healthy and are quite capable of working and putting back into our society! Those trailers could be used a temporary home for those trying to get on their feet..not a permanent thing. It could be monitored. They could also be made work to pay something back for keep to stay there. Point being...it COULD be used as a way to help those that WANT to get on their feet.

» report abuse

read all comments

You need to be a registered member of
Channel 7 News to leave comments on news stories.

Not a member yet? Click Here to sign up.

Please leave your comments below:

Messages that harass, abuse or threaten other members; have obscene or otherwise objectionable content; have spam, commercial or advertising content or inappropriate links may be removed and may result in the loss of your posting privileges. Please do not post any private information unless you want it to be available publicly. Never assume that you are completely anonymous and cannot be identified by your posts.

The 'RUNNING MAN' icon is a registered trademark of America Online, Inc.