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Commissioners press FEMA on slow housing placements and buyouts after storms
Summary
Multiple commissioners criticized federal and state pace on temporary housing and buyouts, saying residents' lives remain on hold as FEMA communication and infrastructure constraints slow placement of trailers and mobile units.
Commissioners used the Jan. 6 meeting to press staff and state contacts about the slow pace of FEMA housing placements and buyouts after the storms. Several board members said they had identified potential lots and owners but experienced little follow-through from FEMA, leaving property owners uncertain.
One commissioner captured the board's frustration: "the wheels of progress turned slow, but I mean the wheels are rusting up," he said, describing long delays since Tropical Storm Fred and urging county leaders to escalate pressure on state and federal partners. Staff and other commissioners noted infrastructure limits (water and sewer) that complicate concentrating many units at a single site, and said they are pursuing multiple paths including state coordination and locally managed temporary placements.
County staff said they have submitted several owner requests for on-site travel-trailer placements and that a state-selected contractor for earlier buyouts will meet privately with affected homeowners next week. Commissioners proposed continuing to press federal and state officials for direct funding or faster approvals so the county can move more quickly on housing solutions.
