A year after Maria, it is clear that the federal response in Puerto Rico has been in large measure inadequate. One sign: To date, the median grant given to repair homes in Puerto Rico has been $1,800, compared with about $9,127 paid out to survivors of Hurricane Harvey in Texas.
In counties with over $10 billion in damage from natural disasters, a new study finds that white household wealth climbed an average of $126,000 following recovery efforts. Yet wealth among Black, Latinx, and Asian households fell by $10,000–$29,000.
The large amount of informal housing in Puerto Rico has resulted in almost as many FEMA claims being denied as are approved.
In the US Virgin Islands, nonprofits’ participation in disaster relief was immediately critical. But, reimbursing them did not seem so urgent to those dispensing disaster dollars.
Previously, FEMA public assistance grants, available to nonprofit community centers such as YMCAs or senior centers, had not been open to houses of worship. Now, churches, like other nonprofits, may apply for funding.
Puerto Ricans and lawmakers question FEMA’s subcontracting snafu that left millions of emergency meals undelivered after Hurricane Maria.
Government shutdowns are often passed off as non-events with little impact unless you are a government employee, but that’s not exactly the case.
In a controversial move likely to be challenged by the ACLU among others, FEMA will no longer be able to exclude houses of worship from disaster funding.
Helping your community recover from disaster and promised money by FEMA? Be sure to document carefully. Over the past decade, FEMA denied appeals for at least $1.2 billion sought by local governments and nonprofits to protect or rebuild communities hit by natural disasters.
Here at NPQ, we do our best to tune out the president’s tweets, but President Trump just crossed a line that should not have been crossed.
