The U.S. Basketball Academy in Blue River has become a new site for FEMA temporary housing. Families displaced by last year’s Holiday Farm Fire are the tenants.
Inside one of the units, Oregon Governor Kate Brown follows FEMA officer Tony Raines on a guided tour.
“Are people on a waiting list?” asked the governor.
“We have every family identified for these 17 units here. In fact, the placement is done based on the family composition, so we know a family that needs a three-bedroom unit, is coming into this unit,” responded Raines.
Right, okay.”
The site accommodates 17 families, though FEMA says it could be expanded for 19, if need be.
Blue River resident Melanie Stanley is excited to see some of her neighbors coming back to the area.
“Blue River will come back, as well as the rest of the communities up and down the corridor that were heavily affected by the fire," she said, standing before the units.
"So I’m looking forward to that. And I know it’s a long road, but we’ll get there.”
The FEMA units are available through March. What happens afterwards is still being determined.
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