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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 10575INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 21-10575 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council April 20, 2021 Page 1 of 2 SUBJECT: ASSISTANCE TO APARTMENT TENANTS DISPLACED BY THE FEBRUARY WINTER STORM ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS The City Council has requested updated information about the City’s assistance to apartment tenants displaced by the February winter storm. Neighborhood Services (NS), Code Compliance, Catholic Charities, City Communications and Public Engagement, Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) have continued to work closely to ensure affected apartment residents are aware of the approaching FEMA deadline to apply for Individual Assistance. FEMA DR-4586 is the Texas Disaster Declaration that cove rs the winter storm from February 11 – 21, 2021. It includes Public and Individual Assistance for category B only (Emergency Protective Measures). Individuals affected by the winter storm can apply for assistance through https://www.disasterassistance.gov or by phone 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Neighborhood Services staff worked with the Communications and Public Engagement team to develop a communication plan with the overall goal to utilize all available me dia channels to advertise the FEMA application deadline, ways to apply, application Q & As, how to videos, informational flyers and electronic messaging through social media including Facebook and Instagram. Police and Fire have posted information on their media channels. Saturday, April 10, a team from Code Compliance visited the Reserve at Bellevue to contact the 39 remaining tenants. Out of the remaining 39 tenants:  15 tenants have confirmed that they have relocated or have found a place to live  15 tenant were unable to be reached by personal or phone contact  9 tenants are still having difficulty finding a place to relocate To date the following activities have taken place:  Upload of key FEMA flyers in prominent places on the city’s website and added the FEMA video to City’s You Tube channel  Emailed information packets to affected apartment locations  Published a City News article on April 12 reminding the public that April 20 is the deadline to apply for assistance from FEMA  Key information has been published in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.  Engaged Northwest Texas Legal Aid for those who may need assistance related to tenants’ rights. The Neighborhood Services’ Community Action Partners (CAP) program has received 53 applications from tenants at the Reserve at Bellevue (7301 Ederville Road, Council District 5) and 4 applications from tenants from Mira Monte Villas (2800 Las Vegas Trail, Council District 3).  A total of 19 households have been certified for hotel vouchers. There are some applications which are pending required paperwork ($9,591.33) INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 21-10575 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council April 20, 2021 Page 2 of 2 SUBJECT: ASSISTANCE TO APARTMENT TENANTS DISPLACED BY THE FEBRUARY WINTER STORM ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS  A total of 14 households have been approved for deposits and first month’s rent. ($14,640.98). This number continues to increase pending apartment move-in approvals  A total of eight (8) households were approved for utility assistance. ($2,618.67) Community Action Partners, Catholic Charities and Fort Worth Housing Solutions are coordinating assistance for those having difficulty finding a place to relocate. Support for the services has been funded from the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG). Programs provided are goal-directed and support individual/family, community, and/or goals. National goals include the following.  Goal 1: Individuals and families with low incomes are stable and achieve economic security.  Goal 2: Communities where people with low incomes live are healthy and offer economic opportunity  Goal 3: People with low incomes are engaged and active in building opportunities in communities. Future actions include:  Neighborhood Services and VOAD will coordinate a meeting to assist residents with FEMA after the Individual Assistance application deadline of May 20, 2021.  OEM will host weekly coordination meetings with partnering City Departments and agencies. Neighborhood Services staff continues to work with the Reserve at Bellevue and Mira Monte Villas to provide information to residents about how to access services. For more information on Neighborhood Services Programs, please contact Victor Turner, Neighborhood Services Director, at (817) 392-8187. David Cooke City Manager