Housing advocates say cutting FEMA could drastically affect disaster response in Kentucky
Republished from WEKU.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week to review the Federal Emergency Management Agency. That comes after multiple calls to “get rid of” the agency altogether.
Governor Andy Beshear recently said getting rid of FEMA would be a “bad idea.” The agency has allocated $1.7 billion in disaster relief funds for Kentucky since 2017.
Pam Johnson helps lead disaster recovery programs at Fahe, an agency that lends money to housing nonprofits all over Appalachia.
She says FEMA is essential for relocating people affected by disasters like the eastern Kentucky floods in 2022.
“If they have to get some of their basic needs that they lost in the disaster, then they get funding for that. And that is something that our local communities do not have the funding (for),” Johnson said.
Johnson also called FEMA necessary for rebuilding infrastructure. She says FEMA is usually among the first to offer relief when communities are still waiting for federal money, or private donations.
“There’s a lot of things that they do on the ground locally that fills a need at that time their funding comes in, because the federal funds are going to be anywhere from 18 to 24 months before it arrives,” Johnson said.
Johnson says she’s confident that Kentucky’s network of nonprofits will continue their work regardless of what happens.
“Whatever happens at the federal level, we’re not letting that cause us to stop doing our work. We are still here serving all of our local communities, our residents across the states that we work in, and that’s not going to change regardless,” Johnson said.
** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.
Originally published by WEKU.
Republished with permission.