Home buyout program falling short for landslide victims?
A spokesman with the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday that a news report of a $3 million allocation for Colorado landslide victims is very preliminary.
According to the news report, the money would come from FEMA and be used for all victims statewide, not specifically for those in Colorado Springs.
“We don’t have an application from the city and state yet,” said FEMA spokesman Jerry DeFelice. “We don’t have a basis for making any kind of confirmed or final decision.”
The city plans to submit its application to the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management on May 13.
“We’ll notify all the property owners as to whether they were accepted into the program by the city, or not,” said Gordon Brenner of the city’s Office of Emergency Management.
The reported amount, said to be from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, is far less than the estimated total damage of nearly $6.5 million in the city alone.
City officials said 84 homeowners applied for the program, some with damage and some anticipating damage in the future.
Reportedly, 28 of the 84 applicants have some degree of landslide damage.
Under the program, the city said qualified homeowners could receive as much as 75 percent of their homes’ pre-landslide market value, minus the costs of condemning properties and demolishing homes, with the city required to contribute a matching amount of 25 percent.
Given those terms, some homeowners believe they’ll be lucky to receive more than half the value of their homes.
Buddy Cantron is one of the landslide victims. His Broadmoor Bluffs home was built in 2001 and a landslide is pushing his deck down a steep slope.
“I hope they can come through with some other programs,” he said. “I know it’s hard, but I have faith in the city. Many of us are faced with paying rent on another house and making two house payments. We can’t afford it.”
According to the news report, the state could make $4 million available to the city through a state program similar to FEMA’s.
It’s unclear when Colorado Springs would receive any FEMA money, or how much the city would get.
