By Paul Tuthill
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Springfield, MA – Community activists in Springfield Massachusetts fear there may be a severe increase in homelessness as a result of the June First tornadoes that decimated housing in some of the city's poorer neighborhoods. WAMC's Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.
The city of Springfield's Housing Department says more than 500 housing units were destroyed by the storms, including many apartment buildings and multi-family houses. Michaelann Bewsee, a community organizer with the group, Arise for Social Justice, fears that type of housing may not be rebuilt.
Bewsee, and other housing and anti-poverty activists, rallied Monday in Court Square, across Main Street from the downtown convention center which continues to house a Red Cross emergency shelter for people displaced by the tornadoes..
The activist say Springfield had a housing shortage even before the tornadoes hit, with an apartment vacancy rate of 6 percent. Now, with housing in shorter supply there are reports of rents rising. Lara Shepard-Blue, who has launched a toranado survivors testimony project says Springfield residents in the emergency shelters are being referred to apartments in other communities.
Malcolm Chu, of the housing advocacy group, No One Leaves, called on banks to put a moratorium on foreclosures in tornado impacted neighborhoods, and for the city to look into seizing bank owned vacant houses by eminent domain for the purpose of providing affordable apartments.
Springfield city officials say steps are being taken to recover as much of the city's decimated housing stock as possible. The city is summonsing the owners of condemned buildings to housing court, where landlords and tenants can find out what help is available and what legal obligations they have. The head of the city's code enforcement department, Steve Desilets says the court orders will prevent property owners from pocketing their insurance proceeds and then abandoning their buildings..
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, is taking the lead now in the Massachusetts tornado recovery efforts because of the disaster declaration last week by President Obama. Gregory Bialecki, the Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development says FEMA can provide rental assistance for up to 18 months which should help get people out of emergency shelters and motels
FEMA opened two disaster recovery centers over the weekend and will open seven more in affected communities later this week.