“Shelter at Home” contractors will begin on Friday working on homes of flood victims who qualify for the program, officials with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness told a Louisiana Senate panel today.
Still, some lawmakers questioned the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s absence from the meeting, The Advertiser reports.
More than 13,000 displaced flood victims have already applied for Shelter at Home, which appears to be the preferred shelter assistance for homeowners.
“To me it looks like the governor’s program is the quickest way to address the (housing) issue,” said Sen. Eddie Lambert, R-Gonzales.
GOHSEP Director Jim Waskom and Mark Riley, the governor’s deputy director of disaster recovery, addressed the Senate Homeland Security Committee today after a similar briefing to the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday.
One difference: Regional FEMA administrator Gerard Stolar testified during the House hearing, but nobody from FEMA came to today’s meeting.
Committee Chairman Mack “Bodi” White, R-Baton Rouge, said he was informed by FEMA the agency will no longer send representatives to brief state legislative committees.
“We’re not going to throw beer bottles at them,” White said.
