Nearly one-third of FEMA applicants deemed ineligible
Waiting for help to arrive.
It's been exactly 114 days since Hurricane Harvey ripped part of the roof from her south
Since then, the family of eight has been fortunate to crash in Rubio's sister's living room, just a half-block from their house that's still barricaded with two-by-fours.
Rubio's family has been in limbo for the past four months. Neither the
"It's just devastating," Rubio said. "It wasn't a new home, but it's still our home."
Rubio is among many residents of
Across
Another 47,268 household applications were on hold while they dealt with insurance issues, and 5,105 were pending for another reason.
Texans who received unfavorable determination letters from
Meanwhile, other families are dealing with similar problems from insurance companies, all while living in temporary housing in the form of hotels, relatives' living rooms and friends' couches.
"People will definitely fall into cracks," said
In
That data doesn't detail how much money each of those households received.
However,
If people exhaust the help from
In
Garcia serves as a case manager for the group, working directly with families to link them with charity programs and other resources.
In Harvey's aftermath, one of the biggest obstacles for people has been dealing with complicated procedures to appeal decisions made by insurance companies or
"They're not going to understand that
A family might be deemed ineligible for a simple reason such as missing proof of ownership or insurance policy information, she said.
But
For one, some people don't know they can appeal, she said.
Others don't know that
They also must fill out paperwork for a low-interest housing recovery loan from the
"
In
They do know, however, that thousands of people are asking for help.
Now, the group's caseworkers are undertaking the lengthy process of reaching out to every name on that list, she said.
"It's just going to be a long process," said Stokes, the executive director of
That situation is all too familiar for Rubio, who hasn't spent a night in her home since late August.
The home where she grew up with her eight siblings decades ago is now an empty shell. Walls and ceilings that haven't been ripped out are peeling apart.
The only personal belongings left are the occasional crucifix and a ceramic sign above the kitchen door that reads "Bless this home."
Rubio said her insurance company agreed to cover about
She hasn't received that money yet.
Although the repairs are expected to cost more than half the home's value, Rubio has promised her family they will rebuild -- sooner or later.
Despite the damage, Rubio still sweeps the water-warped floors while she explains how much the wooden structure means to her family.
"I just get very emotional; I'm sorry," she said.
___
(c)2017 Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas)
Visit Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas) at www.victoriaadvocate.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
How to search for unclaimed life insurance benefits
OPINION: Just like Obamacare? Not exactly
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News