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Over 150 homes already restored
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Posted on Nov 02 2021
Three years after Super Typhoon Yutu wreaked havoc in the CNMI in October 2018 and destroyed hundreds of homes, the Federal Emergency Management Agency reports that it has already helped restore over 150 homes since then.
According to Veronica Verde, external affairs officer at the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Voluntary Agencies Leading and Organizing Repairs program, which provided emergency repairs to homes damaged by Super Typhoon Yutu, ended in October 2020. By that time, FEMA had already repaired over 150 homes that were damaged in the typhoon.
Under the VALOR program, FEMA provided emergency repairs that included safe and secure roofs, restoring kitchen and bathroom facilities, reconnecting homes to code-compliant electricity, and supplied homes with necessary accessibility accommodations.
“At the conclusion of the program, 156 homes received emergency repair assistance through various Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster resources,” she said.
Aside from the VALOR Program which dealt with specific home repairs, FEMA also had programs specifically to construct new, more resilient homes to those who completely lost theirs as a result of Super Typhoon Yutu. This program was called the Permanent Housing Construction program. The PHC program provides direct repairs or new homes to eligible survivors on Saipan and Tinian whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Super Typhoon Yutu.
As of October 2021, Verde said the program has already given 134 homes to the survivors and currently have 109 properties under construction.
“Under the PHC program, a total of 134 homes had been restored: 88 homes from the PHC-Repair program and 46 homes from the PHC-New Construction program,” she said.
Verde said FEMA has invested about $86 million in these programs that were meant to put families back in homes that are stronger and more resilient in case of future typhoons.
“FEMA’s $86 million in mission assignments included oil and hazardous material removal, temporary power mission to help restore power in the CNMI and housing repair supplies provided to help repair homes quickly to get families back into their homes,” she said.
