Charities armed with federal dollars to help hurricane victims find help Monday recruited Galveston County mayors, constables, firefighters and postmasters to help them track down people still living in hurricane-damaged homes.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency gave Recovery for Ike Survivors Enterprise, operated by Lutheran Social Services, $24.3 million to hire case managers from six local charities. The case management program is a first for FEMA. Case managers are charged with finding people who need help repairing or rebuilding their houses, buying new appliances, paying their rent or seeking treatment for mental or physical health problems.
But officials with those charities said they’ve had trouble finding hurricane victims who’ve slipped through the cracks.
Galveston County Restore and Rebuild, a collaborative of area social service and faith-based agencies, repaired 105 houses with $2.6 million in private donations. FEMA estimates 15,700 houses in Galveston County had more than $8,000 in damage. The agency estimates 5,000 people with hurricane-damaged houses lacked insurance, and 80 percent of those people have low to moderate incomes, Fattig said.
Case managers with the six FEMA-funded charities have so found 798 Galveston County families that need help, but Fattig said there are people living in hurricane-damaged houses throughout the county who haven’t sought help.
A list of hurricane victims compiled by FEMA after the hurricane is no longer accurate as displaced people moved or changed their phone numbers. Catholic Charities discovered that three people among a FEMA list of 100 hurricane victims had accurate contact information, Fattig said. Hurricane victims, many whom are battling post-traumatic stress disorder, have become frustrated by bureaucratic red tape and they are distrustful of agencies offering help, Fattig said.
To combat these concerns, the six charities secured two local phone numbers, which officials plan to advertise at town hall meetings and food fairs. Officials with the charities also asked city officials to spread the word about available help to police officers, firefighters, medics, public works employees and code enforcement officials who regularly deal with hurricane victims. Case managers also plan to go door-to-door throughout the county.
Nearly 100 officials representing Galveston County, Bayou Vista, Jamaica Beach, Clear Lake Shores, League City, La Marque, Texas City and Tiki Island attended Monday’s meeting.
Representatives from the cities of Dickinson, Friendswood, Galveston, Kemah, Hitchcock and Santa Fe did not attend.
Many officials who attended the meeting said they knew victims who needed help. Some city officials asked for posters of the information provided at the meeting.
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By The Numbers
• 15,700 homes in Galveston County had more than $8,000 in damage
• 2,300 houses were completely destroyed
• 5,000 homeowners with hurricane-damaged houses lacked insurance
• 80 percent of those uninsured had low to moderate incomes
• 105 houses repaired by Galveston County Restore and Rebuild using private donations
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Charities funded by FEMA to provide case management:
1. Catholic Charities
2. GRACE Community Services
3. Gulf Coast Center
4. ICNA Relief
5. Mainland Children’s Partnership — charged with helping families with young children
6. Boat people SOS — charged with helping Vietnamese shrimpers and fishermen
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Numbers to call for help with home repairs, furniture/appliance replacements, treatment for mental/physical distress: 281-578-8594, 409-643-8260
