California to send $95 million to undocumented flooding victims – months after promising ‘rapid response’
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California will send $95 million to flood victims in a long-awaited program to assist undocumented residents suffering hardship and damage from the recent months of storms.
The money will be available in many affected counties starting in June, according to the state’s Department of Social Services.
The announcement comes two months after Gov. Gavin Newsom promised flood victims that help would come from the state’s Rapid Response Fund. Since then his office provided few details despite repeated queries and criticism.
Alex Stack, a spokesperson for Newsom, said state officials were trying to ensure the program would be accessible to a population that is often hard to reach, while also protecting taxpayer funds from fraud.
“This program is going to serve folks who might be reticent to take advantage of public benefits for fear of it affecting their immigration status, and this is a population that moves around a lot because of farm work or other issues,” Stack said. “We’re trying to make sure folks can access this program without hurdles, and do it the right way.”
Eligible households could qualify for up to $4,500 — each qualifying adult receiving $1,500 and children receiving $500. Stack said a percentage of the $95 million will go to launching and administering the program.
The funds would be available to residents living or working in counties that were federally designated major disaster areas and that were approved for individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Applicants for the state funds must show they are not eligible for FEMA assistance but experienced hardship from storms beginning in December 2022 to April 2023.
In March Newsom’s office said the state would use its Rapid Response Fund to assist undocumented workers and residents who do not qualify for individual aid from FEMA because of their immigration status.
Originally the Legislature allocated $175 million to that fund for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, to assist with migrants at the Southern California border and to fund other needs. Now state grants are expected to go to nonprofit organizations to provide financial assistance to people recovering from floods or storms, the governor’s office said.
The nonprofit organizations will interview applicants in person “to minimize the risk of fraud” and provide preloaded debit cards or a check, said Scott Murray, a spokesperson for the Department of Social Services.
The announcement follows weeks of enquiries from CalMatters and others about assistance to undocumented residents affected by the storms.
Local elected leaders say hundreds of residents don’t qualify for FEMA funding because of their immigration status but have lost work or sustained damage to homes and vehicles. Many agricultural workers suddenly lost work income due to flooded fields yet must provide for their families and pay for medical care, advocates said.
Since Newsom’s March statements about Rapid Response, state officials had been tight-lipped about when funds would be available. As of Wednesday, the state had not announced which nonprofit organizations it would send grants to.
Less than rapid
Luis Alejo, a Monterey County supervisor, has been outspoken about the need for more state and federal assistance for Pajaro, a small, mostly farmworker community that severely flooded when a levee failed in March. On May 4, Alejo tweeted photos of damage in the community, noting there still was no on-the-ground assistance for undocumented flood victims and little word from the state.
“Here we are, going into the end of May, and there’s still no Rapid Response Fund money,” Alejo told CalMatters on May 22. “Maybe we’ve got to take out the ‘rapid,’ because it doesn’t feel rapid.”
State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a Democrat from Bakersfield, said farmworkers and others impacted by flooding in her district also need assistance. During a recent visit to the still flooded Tulare Lake region, Hurtado learned that 1,300 farmworkers in Kings County had been laid off, she said.
“Folks that have been impacted by the floods and the drought are really struggling,” Hurtado said. “They’re really struggling to get the resources they need to be fine.”
Some nonprofit officials said the state has contacted them about being contractors or subcontractors, to help reach people who need funds.
Undocumented workers are, by law, ineligible for federally funded programs such as unemployment benefits or disaster aid from FEMA.
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