Judge gives reprieve to storm-displaced Puerto Ricans
Citing “deficiencies” in federal assistance to Puerto Rican evacuees, a judge Saturday night ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency to extend the temporary hotel voucher program.
Hundreds of displaced families in Florida, and nearly 1,700 across the country, could benefit from the temporary court order. For many, it was a last minute reprieve from having to leave their temporary hotel rooms 11 a.m. Sunday
Hurricane Maria survivors under the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program can now stay in their hotels at least until Wednesday, according to the ruling.
The temporary injunction issued Saturday was
prompted by a lawsuit filed in Massachusetts by the advocacy organizations LatinoJustice and Vamos4PR as well as several affected families.
They are suing the Federal Emergency Management Agency, its administrator William Brock Long and regional director Alejandro De La Campa.
“The irreparable harm to the plaintiffs is obvious and overwhelming tomorrow morning they will be evicted and homeless since by definition each plaintiffs home was rendered uninhabitable by the hurricane in Puerto Rico,” U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin wrote in his decision, adding that the evidence provided showed
“deficiencies in notice and transition assistance” for evacuees.
Sorokin said the end of the TSA program would have “possible human consequences” and would “drain on other public resources.”
FEMA declined to comment on the lawsuit. But in a statement Sunday, the agency confirmed it was working to notify hotels to extend the aid until Thursday to comply with the order.
Spokesperson Dasha Castillo said FEMA was also extending transportation aid until Aug. 30 to cover travel costs for families who wish to return to the island.
The agency has previously said that activating the Disaster Housing Assistance Program, which has been pushed for by some Democrats and Puerto Rico officials, would present “additional complexities and red tape” for survivor families.
“DHAP can become an additional burden for disaster survivors as it requires them to find a rental unit before they can be assisted by the local Public Housing Agency,” according to an earlier statement from FEMA spokespeople.
Kira Romero-Craft, a managing attorney with LatinoJustice in Orlando, said the lawsuit was filed on the eve of the final deadline because she said litigation is always used “as the last option.”
“We kept pushing our elected officials,” she said. “But unfortunately no one came through.”
Romero-Craft added that their organization was suing for an opportunity to let families stay under the TSA program for at least six more months, and for FEMA to review the cases of people who they believe have particular and special needs.
She stressed that although many Puerto Rican families have been able to find apartments or decided to return to Puerto Rico, there is a smaller group on the mainland that is still facing homelessness.
“There are folks that are sick, elderly, retired … It’s a small percentage and they need our help.”
The groups are also claiming the aid that has been rejected for Puerto Ricans on the mainland 10 months after Maria is unequal to the aid provided for survivors of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy.
“These folks are the ones that are living paycheck to paycheck … it’s completely unacceptable,” RomeroCraft said. “Why haven’t the officials, after 10 months, [done] what they’re supposed to do?”
In a statement on Thursday,
Hundreds of displaced families in Florida, and nearly 1,700 across the country, could benefit from the temporary court order.
Gov. Rick Scott’s office said the state had no authority to request and extension and that the program was expiring “following a decision by the Puerto Rican government to not request an extension from FEMA.”
He said impacted families should contact their county’s emergency management office.
The court decision marks the fifth extension of the temporary program, which was first activated on the mainland in October.
Saturday’s deadline was announced on May 3, after FEMA granted a final request from the Puerto Rican government to support families with children who were in the middle of their school year.