Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has accused the Biden administration of denying the state’s request for funds that would help provide relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. On Monday, DeSantis said that FEME refused their request for $25 million in emergency relief which would help the state’s recovery efforts following the hurricane. He noted that this funding would have been used to help support those residents whose homes were damaged and to help volunteers get the necessary materials for both temporary and permanent repairs on the homes.
He added that FEMA had denied their request due to “limited authority”. However, DeSantis noted that they would not simply accept a no for an answer and that they would work hard to bring relief to Floridians and support them with or without FEMA’s help.
DeSantis further announced that the state was going to use its own funds to provide millions in support of the housing program. In the past two weeks, there have been over 1,500 people who have applied to the program which is set to help them repair their houses in order to make them safe to return to.
FEMA also released a statement in which they noted their “limited authority” for granting funding for this type of relief and that the agency was “unable to confirm if their approach would actually achieve the outcomes of an emergency shelter mission.”
