News Details

Cedar Rapids Gazette

March 3, 2009

FEMA Reviewing Grants, May Pay More

By James Lynch

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Michael Parker told the Iowa House Rebuild Iowa Committee Monday FEMA staffers will begin reviewing housing assistance payouts to make sure victims received all they were entitled to receive.

Just 1,300 of 23,000 households received the $28,800 maximum, Parker said, "which looks a bit low" in a disaster where 23,000 applicants were approved for assistance.

Parker would expect at least 10 percent of applicants, perhaps as many as 20 percent, to receive the maximum grant. In Iowa, the number is shy of 6 percent.

That didn't surprise Rep. Tyler Olson, D-Cedar Rapids, who told Parker it's his impression payouts in Iowa have been low compared to payouts in other disasters. Parker declined to comment on that, but told the committee the average housing assistance payout has been $5,200.

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