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Puerto Ricans who fled the devastation of Hurricane Maria and who were provisionally housed in motels and hotels on the mainland got a 20-day extension, ruled Tuesday a federal judge
. Judge Timothy Hillman of Massachusetts extended FEMA's Temporary Housing Assistance Program (TSA) until July 23rd. The program has housed approximately 1700 Puerto Rican evacuees. Many families have struggled to gain access to permanent housing in areas where there is a lack of affordable housing and crowded shelters
The decision comes after a different judge, the judge US District Leo T. Sorokin of Massachusetts, prevented FEMA from ending the program on Saturday, the original end date of TSA.
The Sorokin judgment is the result of a lawsuit filed Saturday by Latino Justice PRLDEF, a national civil rights group that ordered the FEMA ruling. "We decided to file the lawsuit when we saw that nothing had been done," Kira Romero, one of the lawyers in the case, told NBC News.
"We do not understand why the representatives of the federal government did not meet and recognize that there is a real crisis here, they have had time to think about it and find a solution" , added Romero
In his ruling on Tuesday, Justice Hillman stated that "another presentation on the issues would be helpful to the Court" and asked both parties to review their positions in detail before the 18 July The judge plans to make a final order by July 23 to determine s & # 39; 39, there will be further extensions of the FEMA program.
An official hearing is expected to take place this summer to determine if the ASD program can be extended beyond 20 days Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September, destroying homes and infrastructure, and researchers have estimated that more than 4,500 people could have died in the storm and its consequences.
Families who left for the mainland of the United States live in hotels in New York, Massachusetts, Florida, and in other states.
According to the lawsuit, FEMA decided to end the program on Saturday. term housing. The lawyers argued that the agency and other federal authorities have not exhausted all options available to assist these families, including by organizing an inter-agency agreement with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). ) to launch a housing assistance program in the event of a disaster. the agency did after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy.
FEMA's ASD program hosted Puerto Rican hurricane survivors for nearly nine months, at amid multiple extensions of time. During other disasters, survivors have participated in the ASD program for at least one and a half years – even though officials said the program normally lasts 30 days.
Attorney Craig J. of Recat of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, who worked with Latino Justice PRLDEF on the lawsuit said that it was a constitutional challenge since US citizens "have the right to receive what has been given to others. "
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