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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 a complaint as soon as we found that nothing had been done, "said Kira Romero Craft, one of the attorneys of the case, at NBC News.
"We do not understand why the representatives of the federal government have not met and recognize that there is a real crisis here. They had time to think about it and find a solution, "says Romero Craft.
In Tuesday's decision, Hillman J. stated that "further information on the issues would be helpful to the Court "and asked the two parties to express their positions in writing before July 18. 19659002] The judge plans to make a final order by July 23 to determine if there will be any delay. further extensions of the FEMA program or if a formal hearing is scheduled later this summer to allow Testimonials and Present More Evidence Before Making a Final Decision, Natasha Lycia Ora Bannan, Associate Attorney at PRLDEF Latino Justice, Clarified at NBC News
Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September, destroying homes and homes. infrastructure, and researchers have estimated that more than 4,500 pe ople may have died in the storm and its aftermath.
Many families who left for the mainland of the United States live in hotels in New York, Massachusetts, Florida, and in other states
. to end the program Saturday without a comprehensive plan to help families in transition to housing in the long run. 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 housed 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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