HancockCountyRelief

School Funding

10/10 From Gary
The Sea Coast Echo reports that the Hancock County School Board voted unanimously Thursday evening to evict a FEMA trailer park from school-owned property at the former site of Gulfview Elementary.
Since last October, nearly 100 trailers have been housed at the site, and hundreds of displaced residents are living in the park. The agreement with FEMA to house the trailers was made in the confusing days after the storm when housing for hurricane victims was critically needed. A county official signed the right-of-entry to the property under an emergency declaration, and FEMA soon moved the trailers onto the property. The school board contends, it never signed a lease with FEMA and the trailers are hindering the school districts rebuilding plans. As to where to put the residents in the park, that will have to be worked out.

Found on Katrina's Angels Newsgroup:

BILOXI, Miss. -- Of the $8.9 billion* in federal disaster grants awarded to Mississippi in its recovery from Hurricane Katrina, nearly $176 million has been obligated for public and parochial school repair and construction in Mississippi's three coastal counties.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the breakdown of grants to date in those counties is as follows: Hancock County, $48.9 million; Harrison County, $61.1 million; Jackson County, $44.3 million; and $21.4 million to schools in the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi.
The grants are part of FEMA's Public Assistance program, which provides financial assistance to state and local governments and certain non-profit organizations for disaster-related cleanup and rebuilding efforts. The grants help rebuild or restore buildings and infrastructure to pre-Katrina condition. While these grants are aimed at governments and organizations, their primary goal is to help a community and all its citizens recover from devastating natural disasters.
FEMA continues to work closely with applicants, local and state organizations and voluntary agencies in rebuilding Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. Grants are being approved and disbursed through the following programs:
More than $1.2 billion to individuals and families:
216,280 individuals and families have been approved for Housing Assistance totaling about $840 million;
133,699 Mississippi Katrina survivors have been approved for $409 million in Other Needs Assistance.
More than $1 billion has been approved in the following Public Assistance categories (not including debris removal). To date, Mississippi has disbursed $782 million to public assistance applicants for rebuilding projects including bridges, public buildings and utilities. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) administers the funds.
$309 million for emergency protective measures;
$327 million to repair public facilities;
$288 million to restore public utilities;
$53 million to restore public recreational facilities such as state parks;
$25 million to repair roads and bridges; and
$1.6 million to repair water control devices such as reservoirs and irrigation channels.
About $1.3 billion has been approved for land-based debris removal.
About $231 million will be disbursed for marine debris removal:
Nearly 45 million cubic yards of eligible land-based debris has been removed from public and private property in 79 of 82 counties; FEMA has given a six-month extension for the removal of debris in the inundated areas of the three coastal counties; there are approximately 790,750 cubic yards of debris remaining in that surge area;
The U.S. Coast Guard has cleared 23,749 cubic yards or about two percent of marine debris. Marine debris removal will be 100 percent federally funded until May 15, 2007. Other assistance:
More than $2.4 billion was paid by FEMA through its National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to 17,013 policy holders;
Nearly $3 billion* was paid by FEMA to other federal agencies to complete specific tasks or mission assignments during response and recovery such as emergency medical assistance and debris removal;
Nearly 35,000 FEMA-provided temporary housing units are currently occupied.
In addition, about $2.6 billion in U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans have been approved for Mississippians:
More than $2 billion in loans to 30,880 homeowners and renters;
More than $517 million to 4,279 businesses;
About $18.7 million to 325 small business owners for working capital.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program.
FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Friday, 22-Sep-2006 10:07:17

posted by Leslie @ 9/28/2006 08:15:00 PM