Nearly 500 Renters Report Damage From Irene Floods

VPR/ Melody Bodette

The home the Wardwell family rented was damaged by Irene flooding. The family says they're lucky to have found a new house to rent in Rochester.

(Host) Many homeowners lost their houses and belongings in the Tropical Storm Irene floods. But many renters were also displaced by the disaster.

As VPR's Melody Bodette reports, renters are eligible for help from FEMA, though some are unhappy with the level of assistance they've gotten.

(Bodette) Priscella Wardwell, her husband and three teenage boys had lived in their rental house in Rochester for four years before Irene.

As the water rose on the day of the storm, they evacuated to a local inn. Then they returned to find what the water left behind:

(Wardwell) "About five inches of mud. There was a tree in our living room. The water had gone over the kitchen counters. Our house didn't collapse but for the amount of damage that was in it, it might as well have."

(Bodette) Wardwell says she feels lucky to be safe, despite finding her family displaced and without any belongings. Her husband applied for help from FEMA to get their lives back together. But Wardwell says she's been unhappy with the amount that was offered:

(Wardwell) "They want to give each of us a twin bed, one dresser and a 13-inch TV. $7,000 felt like an insult after 18 years of my life just disappeared."

(Bodette) And Wardwell says she's heard of other families with fewer children who've received more money. They've also had trouble getting reimbursements for their temporary housing at the inn. Her husband is a contractor. He also lost his tools, which FEMA doesn't cover.

VPR/ Melody Bodette

Priscella Wardwell, has lived in Rochester for four years with her husband and three sons. Despite losing their rental home to flooding, the family hopes to stay in town.

FEMA spokesperson Deanna Frazier says the agency determines assistance on a case by case basis: 

(Frazier) "The amount that one person gets can be different from one that's right next door. It depends so much on whether they're renting, whether they own the home, whether the water got on the first floor or just in the basement. Did they have sewage seepage into their home? There are just so many variables.

(Bodette) While the Wardwells were unhappy with being offered twin beds, FEMA says their assistance offers are not based on replacement value of lost belongings:

(Frazier) "It's not to get a family back to where they were the day before the disaster. What FEMA provides is dollars to help make people's homes safe, sanitary and functional. So if they lost their beds, what would they need to make their home functional. And that could possibly be twin beds."

(Bodette) Frazier says if homeowners or renters are unhappy with the amount of money FEMA offers, they can appeal. They can also turn to the Small Business Administration to make up the financial gap and to get help for business-related expenses like her husband's tools.

Landlords have also found that they're not eligible for FEMA assistance because rental properties are considered businesses. But landlords can also apply for SBA assistance, often in the form of low-interest loans. Renters and landlords also have to work through potential conflicts about what can be thrown away if a property requires demolition, as in the Wardwells case.

So far almost 500 renters have turned to FEMA for assistance. And an additional 800 families are getting rental assistance while repairs are made to their homes. Typically FEMA offers 2 months of rental assistance, but that can be extended for up to 18 months.

Back in Rochester, Wardwell says after a month at the inn, she feels lucky that her family has found a new place to rent for at least six months:

(Wardwell) "So many people in this town were displaced, finding a place to rent is a nightmare."

(Bodette) And she says after everything she's been through in Rochester, she feels more bonded to the town and hopes to stay until her boys finish school.

For VPR News, I'm Melody Bodette.