The Federal Emergency Management Agency is working on a blue print plan for the types of new homes to be built for local families, whose houses were destroyed by the Sept. 29 earthquake and tsunami. Locally, there have been questions about the new houses— their suitability for Samoan size families— and federal funding for re-location of these homes if deemed necessary.

There have also been questions as to how long the process will be to get these new homes built.

(Samoa has already come up with the plan for two and three bedroom homes which will be paid for by the Samoa government.)

This was one of the issues discussed during last Friday’s press conference to update the community on current recovery efforts in the territory.

Also during the conference, FEMA and ASG said they have already started the distribution last Friday of new durable tents to house families left homeless due to the disaster.

The first tents were found to be not much help for families, especially during heavy rains.

PERMANENT HOUSE CONSTRUCTION

FEMA federal coordinating officer Kenneth Tingman told reporters that FEMA is currently working on a plan of new homes to be funded by FEMA but could not reveal details yet.

“There is a plan...but we are not quite ready to tell exactly what the homes are going to look like because we’re not quite there yet,” said Tingman. “What we would like to have is a standard two or three bedroom home.”

“Issues that we are dealing with now— because of the tsunami and maybe some of the economic issues that are going on— will help us shape what kind of homes they are going to be,” he said, and repeated that the plan will be announced when the time comes.

A handful of families have told Samoa News in the past weeks that either FEMA or the local government should consult them before a final blueprint is made because some destroyed homes were four bedroom houses.

“It just makes sense that there needs to be some input from affected families regarding FEMA built and funded homes,” said a man in Leone, whose home was destroyed. “What happens if the home is too small for a Samoan family with many members who resided in the destroyed home? How big are the bedrooms? Or more importantly how big are the proposed new homes?”

The man also said thorough discussions must be held on the issue of where the new homes are to be built, and if the federal government will help with the relocation to a new site away from the shoreline.

Samoa News understands that one of the big issues in the rebuilding of new homes is whether the federal government will allow families to rebuild these new structures on the same site— along the shoreline— or relocate somewhere away from the shoreline.

Tingman told reporters two weeks ago that FEMA hadn’t really gotten down to a discussion to relocate homes or not, adding he does know that some of the families have talked about it, but could not comment further at this point.

He said FEMA is going to “help the building” of their homes and FEMA will deal with individual cases of families and villages as each situation comes up.

TENTS

During last Friday’s news conference, both Gov. Togiola Tulafono and FEMA Region IX administration head Nancy Ward acknowledged the delivery of the new tents for temporary shelters— with the first delivery to Amanave village.

“The new tents are being deployed to the villages and I’m sure [they] will be received very well and I’m grateful to FEMA for working with us to accomplish these goals to serve our people better,” said Togiola.

Ward said she was at Amanave, Friday morning, and witnessed the work being done to put up these new tents.

“You will be pleased, as we are, that these tents go a long way in providing some intermediate sheltering on people’s property prior to us being able to start more permanent housing construction,” said Ward, who arrived in the territory last Thursday night on her first visit to Pago Pago.

It was also made clear by Tingman that individual assistance distributed to affected families is for repair of damaged homes but not for the rebuilding of new homes, which will be addressed at a later time.