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Renzi Announces FEMA Mobile Homes Available for Tribal Governments
1,000 unused mobile homes owned by FEMA will be available for transfer

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi (AZ-01) announced today that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is making 1,000 unused mobile homes available for transfer to tribal governments across the country.

FEMA will soon be sending notification to those eligible, along with an official request form. All requests must be submitted to FEMA by October 15, 2007. 

“I am pleased to announce that FEMA will be distributing these unused mobile homes to tribal governments,” said Congressman Renzi. “This is the perfect way to utilize the excess number of unused homes.  I encourage all tribal governments in Arizona to submit an application for these homes.”

A section of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2007 authorized FEMA to dispose of unused temporary housing units owned by FEMA by transferring them to other federal departments and agencies.

There will be no cost for the mobile home, but tribal governments will be responsible for the transportation, set up of the units, and if necessary, retrofitting.  These costs may be covered by funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Native American Housing Block Grant program. 

FEMA defines unused as mobile homes that have not been lived in by disaster victims or used for any other purpose. The units are classified as mobile homes and are not the “travel trailers” which have been the subject of recent news reports that contain dangerous levels of formaldehyde.

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