8 Rincon tribal members get FEMA mobile homes UNION-TRIBUNE

6:22 a.m. January 22, 2008

NORTH COUNTY: The last of eight federal mobile homes for Rincon tribal members burned out in the Poomacha fire in October arrived yesterday after tribal officials worked out a deal with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Advertisement FEMA didn't want to deliver the homes until people applying for them met its conditions, including that they have electricity from the grid. But some homes on the reservation relied on generators.

So tribal leaders persuaded FEMA to give the mobile homes to its housing authority, which would in turn decide under what conditions people would receive the homes, said tribal administrator Dick Watenpaugh.

He expects the homes to be ready by the end of the week.

About 65 homes and other buildings were lost on the reservation, but most were rentals, and tribal officials are not involved in helping replace those, Watenpaugh said. –O.S.