OFFE/FEMA UPDATE #9
11/20/2006
There was very little activity with FEMA last week concerning the disposal of the mobile homes held in surplus in Hope Arkansas. To date, the agency has been very closed lipped about their plans. We did however locate 5000 more surplus homes in Texas.
Attached you will find a letter from Senator Christopher Bond of Missouri. In his letter he claims the Department of Veterans Affairs in now working with FEMA on the fate of the housing units. This is news to us, as the VA didn’t know anything about the FEMA plan until we contacted them. However, if this is true, it may be in our best interest.
I do need to make a correction to one of our previous updates we posted. Originally, we were told the VA did guarantee home loans on mobile homes and prefabricated housing. And this is still true. However, after further investigation we have discovered that this only applies to a unit located on its own property and according to code. Seeing as the mobile homes in Hope are not on their own property, the VA will not guarantee the loan on these units. We are exploring this matter farther.
I will continue to keep you all posted.
OFFE Public Affairs
JERE BEERY
Past Updates Below
OFFE/FEMA UPDATE #1
10/19/2006
If you have received this email, your name has been logged in, and you will receive updates weekly concerning our efforts and the FEMA mobile homes project.
There is not a great deal new information today. FEMA is still in the process of creating a system to deal with the liquidation of the 9,700+ mobile homes and travel trailers in Hope Arkansas. As soon as details are received, we will forward that information to you at this email address.
The very first thing everyone needs to know is, we cannot guarantee anything. We are not the sellers of these units and we receive no fees or commissions for our efforts. All final decisions about these mobile homes will be made by FEMA. But, we do promise you this, we will get your request and paperwork on the correct desk within FEMA. We will monitor your request through the approval process to insure fair treatment and consideration, and we will fight for our veterans’ rights to acquire this surplus housing.
There are two basic types of request we are receiving. Veteran’s that wish to purchase one of these units, and homeless veterans in need of a unit donated. Although 9,700+ units’ sounds like a lot, it really isn’t when it comes to homeless and needy veterans and their families nationwide. We are attempting to help those we can. Not all homeless veterans live on the street. Personally, I live in an attic of a friend’s house in Ohio. An ugly divorce cost me my home and everything I owned. I have applied for one of these mobile homes myself. So, I’m in the same boat as everyone else on this list.
We have no idea what other offers and/or arrangements FEMA may be receiving from special interest groups or dealers. I think we all can assume FEMA want to sell as many units as they can. We will be watching very closely to discourage dealers from taking advantage of our tax dollars to turn a buck while depriving our needy veterans.
It is our understanding that the units available range from 8 X 27 travel trailers to 14 X 70 mobile homes. There are ‘some’ handicap equipped units, but we don’t know how many as yet.
A veteran’s VA home loans can be used to secure a loan to buy most of these units. The smaller units may not meet VA home loan requirements, but the large do. Regardless, all can be financed.
It is also our understanding that all of these units are new and fully furnished. If we receive information to the contrary, we will advise ASAP.
Now, here’s what you can do to help. Contact your local media and tell them about our efforts to secure these mobile homes for our former military personnel and there families. Contact your local VFW, DAV, American Legion and get their support for our efforts. Ask for support from your church or civic group. Help us get the word out. We don’t have much time. Once these units start moving, they are gone. We need the Vets to stand up and be counted now! Don’t worry about spoiling your chances of getting one of these units by getting media attention. Your name is already at the top of our list and we will protect your request.
I hope I have answered a few of your concerns and questions. Hopefully, we will know more this week.
Please contact me at any time if you have any questions. Also, refer all media inquires to Gene Simes or yours truly, Jere Beery. Together, we can make a difference!
Thank you, and good luck!
Jere Beery
Operation Firing For Effect
Public Relations Director
OFFE/FEMA UPDATE #2
10/20/2006
OFFE volunteers have spent many hours researching our FEMA mobile home project and I wanted to give you all a brief update.
Please understand that we are operating at a disadvantage here because we are not privileged to inside information. We are learning as we go. However, we have spoken with a number of people that have experience with the disposal of government surplus mobile homes and other items. The following is based on the input from these knowledgeable team members.
At this time, it appears FEMA will liquidate the mobile homes as prescribed in/by U.S. Code, Title 40, §545 - Procedure for disposal, and §549 - Donation of personal property through state agencies, and §550 Disposal of real property for certain purposes. Here are the links for these Codes.
http://cfr.law.cornell.edu/uscode/uscode40/usc_sec_40_00000545----000-.html
http://cfr.law.cornell.edu/uscode/uscode40/usc_sec_40_00000549----000-.html
http://cfr.law.cornell.edu/uscode/uscode40/usc_sec_40_00000550----000-.html
If our information is correct, FEMA will funnel the units through the General Services Administration (GSA). This is the primary outlet for all government surplus. This means the units will ‘trickle down’ through state level agencies, including law enforcement and educational request. After that, the non-profit organizations will be given a chance to acquire some of these units. ‘Any’ registered non-profit organization can submit request or bids. Next in line are the American Indian Reservations nationwide. Following them, dealers will be able to buy these homes in number, refurbish them for resale, and make a pretty penny off the tax payer’s loss. It’s interesting to note that some of these units could even be resold for a handsome profit south of the border. Next, the units that are left (if any) will go to public auction for a fire sale. The concluding auction will be held at the Hope Municipal Airport to sell the remaining units. Now please bare in mind, this is all an educated guess at best. The situation is still fluid and subject to change.
According to our contacts, both federal and state, and within several veterans’ service organizations, FEMA will not attempt to move any of these units until the current hurricane season has passed. Therefore, it may be safe to speculate that nothing will happen until after the first of the year. We have no control over how long FEMA will take to liquidate the units. We can continue to attempt to influence where these units end up.
We also talked to several veterans in Hope Arkansas today. According to our sources, ‘some’ of these units have/are requiring repair. A number of units have flat tires and a few are sinking in the mud. We will have a person on the ground in Hope to survey the situation before the end of the week. I hope to have pictures to share soon.
In short, there is NO provision WHATS SO EVER that recognizes our former military personnel and their families when it comes to the disposal of government surplus. The very best advice we can give you at this time is to contact a non-profit veteran’s service organization or charity to submit a request on your behalf. Some of you are members of the VFW, DAV, American Legion, VVA, and others. Make them earn your membership dues! Put them to work for you.
Also, contact you elected officials and tell them you want these units to be made available to veterans and their families. Contact the media and ask them to cover the story.
While you are doing that, we will be working on ways to get ‘Veteran’s Consideration’ higher up the pecking order. The bottom line is, we all will have to work from several directions at once in order to make something happen.
I invite everyone to visit the GSA web site to view many other useful items of interest. You will see several FEMA mobile homes and other equipment up for auction. These units are not from the Hope group. http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/gsaauctions/
We are attempting to keep on top of this story and will continue to share what we find out. We need your help to pull this off. Let’s all do every think we can to bring attention to this issue. We have the opportunity to help our fellow veterans. Let’s show them what we can do!
One last thing, if you haven’t sent me your contact information, including address, phone number, and email address, please do so ASAP. We are going to submit everyone’s name and address to FEMA HQ in DC. We don’t know what good that will do, but it’s not a bad idea.
Jere Beery
OFFE Public Relations Director
OFFE/FEMA UPDATE #3
10/21/2006
Many of you have asked for more details on the Bill Congress passed and the section related to the FEMA mobile homes.
Both houses of Congress approved
H.R. 5441, Department of Homeland Security
Appropriations Act, 2007 (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House
and Senate.
A section in the bill includes the disposition of unused housing units
(mobile trailers), currently located in Hope,
Arkansas. That section of the bill is
as follows.
(a) In General- Notwithstanding section 408(d)(2)(B) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(d)(2)(B)), if the Administrator authorizes the disposal of an unused temporary housing unit that is owned by the Agency on the date of enactment of this Act and is not used to house individuals or households under section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) after that date, such unit shall be disposed of under subchapter III of chapter 5 of subtitle I of title 40, United States Code.
(b) Tribal Governments- Housing units described in subsection (a) shall be disposed of in coordination with the Department of the Interior or other appropriate agencies in order to transfer such units to tribal governments if appropriate.
Jere Beery
OFFE Public Relations Director
OFFE/FEMA UPDATE #4
10/22/2006
Ok folks, here is the latest. Not much is new. There are a couple of rumors circulating on the internet, but nothing confirmed. One rumor implies there are several non-profit organizations planning to acquire a number of the mobile homes in Arkansas and ship them overseas. One version of the rumor said that Lebanon and Iraq were among possible destinations. We have not been able to verify this rumor, but it is a very possible reality. Anyone can bid on these mobile homes through the GSA auction, and they could end up anywhere in the world. Shipping mobile homes by ship is done all the time. One large cargo freighter can carry hundreds of 70 foot mobile homes on a single transit. The question is, will the veteran community just sit by quietly and allow this to happen? We feel our former military personnel should be granted the opportunity to buy these units FIRST!
Needless to say, there are many upset veterans in this country that are offended by the fact homeless and needy former military personnel and their families were not included in the process to liquidate these government surplus housing units. According to some recent reports, 3 out of 4 of the homeless in San Diego California are former military personnel and family members. That is a very sad number of veterans without housing.
We have been alerted the Marine Corp League is taking on this project and will be writing a letter to FEMA voicing the concerns of their 68,000 members nationwide. We hope the MCL will send us a copy of that letter to share with all of you.
I received a call last week from Commander Jim Adams from the VFW National HQ. He was VERY surprised to learn the VA and NVSOs had been left out of the LOOP. Apparently, NO ONE knew this was going on.
Many of you have asked; how can we stop this? Good question. First of all, the Bill has been Passed by the Congress and it will be very difficult to reverse at this late stage. However, it is not impossible. If the veterans stand up and voice their objections, and enough Americans publicly object, the government will find a way to redirect their intentions. The NVSOs ‘should’ be supporting this effort; however we have yet to hear anything from any of them.
One suggestion is a Presidential / Executive Order / Waver of GSA guidelines for the disposal of this particular surplus housing. This would be a one-time waver and only address surplus FEMA housing in Hope Arkansas. This is just an idea in the early stages. We are also looking for a Congressman to sponsor an Amendment to HR 5441, §698k with wording that would include the Department of Veterans Affairs in the disposal process of surplus housing in the future.
Here is the link you can always use for review of articles and updates on this project. http://jerebeery.com/FEMA%20PAGE.htm
I will be hosting the Firebase Network’s Veterans Hour radio program this Sunday. My guest will be OFFE Gene Simes. We will devote the entire hour to this subject. You can listen live on your computer at this link www.gcnlive.com. If you would like to call-in with a comment, use this number; 800 259 9231. The program airs at 6pm [EST] this Sunday evening.
Not everyone on this list has sent me your full contact information. We cannot submit a request that only has the word “Jim” on it. Please take the time to get your info to me. Please do this ASAP.
The one fact we all must realize is; we don’t have much time to turn this situation around. We must strike while the subject is fresh and news worthy. We need everyone to make an effort to help us get the word out. Make this project your own. You don’t need to ask permission to get involved. We don’t care who gets the credit, or who gets the blame - we do care who gets these surplus mobile homes.
Remember, these mobile homes belong to the American tax payers, not the government. You have every right to demand where your tax dollars go. Call your Congressman today!
I will keep you posted.
Jere Beery
OFFE Public Relations Director
OFFE/FEMA UPDATE #5
10/24/2006
I received the following email today and wanted to get this info out to the group asap.
Jere - I just
got off the phone with one of my senator (Susan Collins) staff
members. He told me that the trailers in Ark are part of FEMA's strategic
planning. They are going to ship some to the Gulf and some to the East
coast to be used for emergency purposes. He said they are not excess
property but part of their planning???? He advised me to write to Collins
with your idea of making some available to veterans. He said by all means
contact these veteran groups like VFW, Legion and others regarding this
issue. He told me that he did not know if FEMA needed all of the trailers
or just some of them. I plan on writing to Collins today. I will keep you
informed. I expressed our concern that they might be shipping them out to
foreign lands and he mentioned that he never heard anything like that.
Susan Collins is the Chair of Homeland Security so it does seem like they
would have heard about a matter like this. The staff member said
contacting the veteran’s organizations is the way to go.
We have no idea whether this is true or not. But, everyone I have spoken with about this idea think it is dumb and very ill-conceived.
According to this ‘plan’, FEMA would spend millions more of tax payer dollars to relocate these units on the Gulf and East Coasts. Then, there would be the cost of ongoing storage fees for these mobile homes until they are needed. On top of that, all of these units would need constant maintenance to keep them from deteriorating and to maintain their road-worthiness. The next problem is, in the event of a natural / man-made disaster in Washington State, or California, the emergency housing units would be transported thousands of miles from the Gulf and East Coast at millions of dollars of additional cost. And finally, these units would be useless if local Codes restricted their use, as in New Orleans.
Talk about throwing good money after bad!
Here is my view on the situation; FEMA made a huge mistake by purchasing these units in the quantities they did. I personally think someone used poor judgment when they over reacted to the situation along the Gulf Coast. FEMA decided to purchase 11,000 mobile homes without any understanding of need or feasibility. Now, they want to keep the disposal of these mobile homes quiet to avoid any further negative media attention and embarrassment. I really don’t think they have any idea of how to resolve this dilemma.
I can tell you this, we have thrown a monkey wrench into any plans FEMA may have had. We are hearing from many veterans all over the country in support of giving former military families the first opportunity to buy these units at surplus cost. We are also hearing from civic organizations interested in donating some of these housing units to qualified homeless and needy veterans. No one I have talked with thinks this is a bad idea.
Many of you are doing a GREAT job getting the word out about this issue. Please maintain your efforts. We can make this happen if we all voice our concerns. Remember, these mobile homes belong to the American tax payers, not the government. How do you want your tax dollars spent? Contact your local VFW, DAV, VVA, American Legion, AmVets, and make them aware of your concerns. I am certain they will do everything they can to help you.
Jere Beery
OFFE Public Relations Director
10 Facts about mobile homes you need to know
1. Prices for a new mobile home range anywhere from about $24,000 to $100,000.
2. Mobile Homes are not the same thing as recreational vehicles (RVs) or motor homes.
3. Many mobile homes are a part of a larger “subdivision” of mobile homes called a mobile home “park.”
4. Mobile homes are marketed as an inexpensive way to live, often targeting first-time home buyers.
5. There are two common types of mobile homes: single-wide, usually 16 feet or less; and double-wide, 24 feet or more.
6. A Mobile home is not the same as a modular home.
7. A Mobile home is also called a manufactured home.
8. Mobile homes are usually placed on a lot permanently, but can be moved if necessary.
9. Triple-wide mobile homes are manufactured, but are not nearly as common as single-wide and double-wide.
10. Mobile homes are more susceptible to tornado damage because they are not secured to the ground as well as a site-built home.
OFFE/FEMA UPDATE #6
10/25/2006
If you travel 6 miles NW on Hwy 4 from downtown Hope Arkansas, you will reach Hope Municipal Airfield on the left. This is where the majority of the 9,700+ surplus mobile homes are located. However, this is not the only place FEMA has surplus housing stored. If you head NE for 19 miles on I-30 from downtown Hope, you will reach Prescott Arkansas. The photographs below show several hundred mobile homes located off Exit 44 just outside Prescott. If you look closely, you will see the word FEMA painted on the chassis of one of the units.
For several weeks we have received unconfirmed reports FEMA has a number of staging areas like this one in several states, including Florida. This new development in Prescott seems to verify those reports.
I-30, Exit 44, Prescott Arkansas FEMA mobile homes.
The latest report from our contacts in Hope paints a very muddy picture. According to veterans who have lived in Hope their entire lives, moving 9,700+ mobile homes into the airfield was a hell of a lot easier than it will be to get them out again. As of this afternoon, Hope has been drenched with 14 hours straight rain. Some people in the area are predicting when FEMA finally does attempt to move these units out; it is going to be a big muddy mess. Many of the trailer tires are sinking into the mud a little farther every time it rains.
We have also been advised that FEMA has been moving in ‘drivable mobile home’ units into the Hope airfield. These units were loaned to residents to use while they repaired their hurricane damaged homes along the Gulf Coast. We don’t know how many of these type units there are yet. We also do not know if these units will be liquidated along with the others.
The bottom line is; there appears to be a lot more units than we know about.
Jere Beery
OFFE Public Relations Director
OFFE/FEMA UPDATE #7
10/30/2006
OK folks, here’s the latest! I just received the following email from one of our Key people researching and investigating this issue. We are asking everyone to call Congressman Mike Ross’s office and urge him to support our veterans in acquiring these mobile homes when they become available. Patricia Herring is in Ross’s Arkansas office.
Jere here's an up date - 2,729 of those mobile homes in Arkansas are handicapped assessable. I think Congressman Mike Ross in Arkansas is going to be a good contact person on this and his DC Phone Number is 202-225-3772. Patricia Herring Phone number is 870-881-0682. Pat said watch FEMA.gov they will announce what is going to be done with these homes As Soon As they make up their minds.
Please pass this information on to interested parties and supporters.
We are making progress! I am very surprised to learn how many people didn't know about the FEMA plan to dispose of the surplus units in Hope Arkansas. Apparently, FEMA was attempting to liquidate this surplus housing with as little media attention as possible. We have enlightened the masses with our efforts! Keep up the pressure. Our veterans are counting on you to make this project a success.
Remember, what we are doing will benefit many of our former military families. These mobile homes already belong to the American people. Now, we are asking the American people to determine the fate of these surplus housing units. If the government was willing to give them away to ANY/ALL Katrina victims, they can make the unused units available to our disabled, low income, and homeless veterans. If enough people get behind this project, it will happen. I am personally asking everyone to call Congressman Ross’s office to express their concerns and solicit his support.
Jere Beery
OFFE Public Affairs Director
OFFE/FEMA UPDATE #8
11/15/2006
Here are two articles of interest. The first is from MSNBC yesterday, and the second is a transcript from CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 from last night.
|
|
FEMA homes destroyed by weather
Hundreds of modular houses lay unprotected in storage, agency admits
The Associated Press
Updated: 7:15 p.m. ET Nov 14, 2006
NEW ORLEANS - Hundreds of modular homes bought by FEMA for victims of last year's hurricanes were damaged beyond repair as they sat unused and, in many cases, unprotected from the elements, the agency said Tuesday.
The failure to protect the homes from the sun and rain while they were in storage was outlined in a report by the Homeland Security Department's inspector general.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency bought the homes as emergency housing for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. But many sat unused for months at an Army depot in Texarkana, Texas, because of restrictions on where such homes could be erected, FEMA said. A June inventory had 1,790 homes at the site.
FEMA put the total damage to homes both salvageable and unsalvageable at $5 million. The homes cost an average of $36,000 each, according to FEMA.
FEMA spokeswoman Debbie Wing said it appears at least 250 homes are not salvageable. That is worse than the inspector general's assessment, which indicated that all but about 110 houses might still be usable, though with some repairs.
Modular homes are made in large pieces in factories, so that they can quickly and easily be assembled.
About 1,000 of the homes are in Louisiana to provide teachers with temporary housing, Wing said. Some are already being used for that purpose, she said.
According to the inspector general, most of the homes appeared to have been protected by manufacturers' packaging. But in many other cases, sun and rain ruined tarps and cardboard boxes, and the wood and other pieces warped.
"For future planning, given that some modular home units are designed to be assembled soon after they are received rather than stored, many modular home units are questionable choices for emergency housing," inspector general Richard Skinner wrote.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15720106/
ANDERSON COOPER 360
FEMA Mobile Homes
CNN
11/14/06
Sitting in for Anderson, and reporting tonight from the CNN studios in New York, here's John King.
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: And good evening to you, everyone.
KING: Fourteen months after Hurricane
Katrina, the questions continue for FEMA. This time, the agency is under fire
for letting modular homes that should go to storm victims sit empty, exposed to
the elements. And guess what -- you already did -- you're paying for it.
CNN's Rick Sanchez now, "Keeping Them Honest".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT/ANCHOR (voice-over): Underneath this sea of
tarps are more than 550 homes that were intended for Katrina evacuees. But here
in Texarkana, Texas, where they've been stored at taxpayer expense, the wind and
rain has more than taken their toll on them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, no!
SANCHEZ: Two hundred and fifty -- that's almost half of these modular homes --
are now classified as unsalvageable, according to a homeland security inspector
general's report.
(on camera) When the rain comes, it sits there and eventually, it works its way
through the tarp?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I imagine that's what happened, yes.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
(voice-over) The federal government purchased 145,000 temporary homes after
Katrina. Many remain unused. They include travel trailers and mobile homes which
have at least held up relatively well in storage.
But they also purchased 1,700 modular homes which have not held up so well. Why?
These are not really homes. They're like giant home kits. Think of it like the
boxes filled with Legos that your children play with.
(on camera) The damage that we're talking about is obviously accumulated over
time. You could take a look. These are all parts to a house, parts that many
cases no longer work.
This is a shutter that goes on a house and you could tell how it's really very
warped at this point.
You can look at boxes like this one over here, where the water has just come
through and deteriorated the cardboard, as it has with this one over here, as
well. And you see water marks on almost all the smaller items.
All told, inspectors say, there's about $4 million worth of damages.
(voice-over) The $4 million is the inspector's estimate, or the loss we all will
pay. FEMA granted CNN access to this modular storage area. The same workers who
removed the tarps for us had previously done the same for inspectors.
(on camera) How closely -- how closely did they look at them?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They looked at them for many hours.
SANCHEZ: FEMA officials tell us the modular homes were purchased in a hurried
effort to help desperate people following a natural catastrophe. They say some,
maybe as many as a thousand, will be used in Baton Rouge. The rest, though, will
likely continue to sit here, where a well-intended effort has seemingly turned
into an expensive eyesore.
Rick Sanchez, CNN, Texarkana, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KING: It is amazing.
More now on some of the other housing that Rick alluded in his report. Those
trailers, you might remember them in Hope, Arkansas. Anderson has been telling
you about them for months now.
FEMA came under fire for storing more than 10,000 trailers in Hope and never
getting many of them to Katrina evacuees along the Gulf Coast. Eighty-eight
hundred are still there, but several hundred that did make it to Katrina victims
are coming back. They're being refurbished for use in future disasters.
* * * * *
Gene Simes and I will be contacting FEMA tomorrow to get their latest information.
Jere Beery
OFFE Public Affairs Director
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