Attention please!
We need to talk about how FEMA/ the White House are STILL not approving the use of existing disaster aid programs in the MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC.
This should be a damn scandal.
#EMGTwitter
We need to talk about how FEMA/ the White House are STILL not approving the use of existing disaster aid programs in the MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC.
This should be a damn scandal.
#EMGTwitter
. @lisalsong has published the first real article about this today for ProPublica. It is excellent.
You should read it in full and note the widespread agreement of emergency management experts.
propublica.org/article/fema-b…
You should read it in full and note the widespread agreement of emergency management experts.
propublica.org/article/fema-b…
Remember a few weeks ago when we talked about the different types of declarations and I explained that the reason they are important is that they open up certain types of funding and resources?
Here’s the breakdown dating back to March 13th. disaster-ology.com/home/2020/3/26…
Here’s the breakdown dating back to March 13th. disaster-ology.com/home/2020/3/26…
Around that time I started talking about how we ALSO needed “Major Disaster Declarations” via the Stafford act. It took almost A MONTH for every state and territory to request/ receive the declaration.
As part of the request for a Major Disaster governors say which type of assistance they want/ need. There are public assistance and individual assistance programs.
The fed gov’t quickly approved the public assistance request but THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE.
The fed gov’t quickly approved the public assistance request but THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE.
There are different types of individual assistance. The only one that any state has been approved for is "Crisis Counseling" which is great but not enough.
Most of these individual assistance programs are related to housing and rebuilding which is usually a huge issue post-disasters. I could argue a use for these programs related to COVID but it does get a bit messy so let’s skip that for now.
Instead, I want to draw your attention to "Other Needs Assistance". There are two programs within this category that have a HUGE AND OBVIOUS role to play in the COVID response.
First: Funeral Assistance which is what is covered in the ProPublica article.
First: Funeral Assistance which is what is covered in the ProPublica article.
(I wrote about this two years ago after Maria. One of the reasons coroners not correctly identifying cause of death as related to Maria was a problem is that their loved ones would not be able to receive funeral assistance.)
I’m seeing more and more people create GoFundMe’s to help cover the cost of funeral expenses. It’s understandable because funerals are expensive, many don’t have life insurance, and a lot of people just lost their jobs. There is a clear and obvious need. 
I'm not the only one to notice the need. @AOC and @SenSchumer held a press conference two weeks ago about exactly this issue. (This has been the only other coverage of the funeral assistance issue as it relates to FEMA).
Here's a video. @AOC is spot-on in describing the need and responsibility of fed gov't to assist with these costs:
To be clear, this is a social justice issue. COVID deaths are disproportionately affecting many low-income communities of color because of the long history of structural inequality related to food access, income, access to & underinvestment in healthcare systems, etc.
Now, their families are responsible for a disproportionate amount of funeral-related expenses at the same time jobs have been lost.
I also want to be clear that the WH and FEMA aren't doing anyone a favor by opening up funeral assistance funding -- it's literally their job.
This program exists for exactly this reason and they are not using it.
This program exists for exactly this reason and they are not using it.
(Oh, the second program that seems particularly relevant here is Medical Assistance which is supposed to cover uninsured medical expenses that are directly related to the declared disaster which... you can imagine would be useful right now.)
So, read this. I know it's a bit in the weeds but it's hugely important. This joins a long list of massive failures within the federal government to use our existing emergency management system to meet the needs of the public during an unprecedented crisis.propublica.org/article/fema-b…
