LAFITTE, La. — Royal Moll has lived in her Lafitte home for most of her life.
“My memories and photos, things mamma left behind,” said Moll as she pointed to a big pile of debris. “It’s all gone.”
Those memories, along with everything in her house, are outside her front door, soaking wet and destroyed.
“It’s an emotional breakdown. It’s wearing me down to see it, to talk about it,” Moll said.
Moll evacuated for Hurricane Ida. When she came back two weeks later, the house she's made so many memories with her family in, was unlivable.
“I got in my house and all I could do was scream,” Moll said.
Like many people in hard hit areas, Moll needs temporary housing to begin rebuilding hers. She’s staying at a neighbor’s right now.
“It’s important that we have a place to stay because a lot of us don’t have a lot of money,” Moll said.
Monday, the governor announced a program, approved and paid for by FEMA, allowing the state to send trailers into hard hit areas by the end of the week.
“Housing is the most pressing need that we have,” said Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng. “We need to get housing. We need our people back in our parish, at their property, starting to rebuild.”
Sheng hopes allowing the state to take charge will be much faster than waiting for FEMA.
“We’re identifying sites and our request is going to be for people to have the trailer at their property,” Sheng said.
This state program doesn’t replace existing FEMA programs for temporary housing like hotels and rental assistance. It’s another option, that also takes the pandemic into account.
The program cuts out congregate shelters, putting folks in individual units. Moll already applied for hers and hopes it can restore a sense of home.
I misplace my keys, or I misplace this and that because I feel misplaced,” Moll said. “I feel confused at times because of all this.”
To apply for a trailer you have to already have a registration with FEMA and you must apply for a trailer through the state separately. You can apply here: https://idashelteringla.com/en-US/