Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Colorado U.S. Congressman Joe Neguse, and Colorado U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper wrote to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell requesting that FEMA covers the costs of removing damaged home foundations through the Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) program. Eligible under the Public Assistance program for this disaster, the PPDR was recently approved for victims of the Marshall Fire.
The destructive nature of the Marshall Fire rendered thousands of structures throughout Louisville, Superior, and Boulder County unserviceable. The foundations left behind are now posing a health and safety threat to the communities and blocking rebuilding efforts. If included in the PPDR, the county would be reimbursed for the costs of removing the damaged home foundations.
“The removal of these fire-damaged foundations is a significant cost to homeowners, in a community where many homeowners are already finding themselves to be underinsured and with insufficient resources,” wrote Bennet, Neguse, and Hickenlooper. “As the State, County, and the community work to recover and rebuild after this disaster, approving the request to include the costs of removing home foundations in PPDR reimbursement is an important step to ensuring that homeowners and the community can quickly continue the rebuilding process.”
The lawmakers’ previous letter to FEMA led to the initial approval of the state’s PPDR request.
The text of the letter is available HERE and below.
Dear Administrator Criswell,
Thank you for supporting the State of Colorado’s (the State) requests in the wake of the Marshall Fire, including your recent approval of the request for Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) to be eligible under the Public Assistance program for this disaster. We write to request expeditious approval of the State’s request to include the costs of removing damaged home foundations in PPDR, and urge you to include this coverage upon receipt of the supplemental materials from the State and Boulder County (the County).
The heat and intensity of the Marshall Fire damaged the concrete foundations of many homes and businesses so severely that they are now considered unusable. State and local officials determined that the debris from these homes pose a threat to public health and safety and to the economic recovery of the community.
The removal of these fire-damaged foundations is a significant cost to homeowners, in a community where many homeowners are already finding themselves to be underinsured and with insufficient resources. As you know the Marshall Fire destroyed 1,084 homes outright, and damaged or destroyed dozens of other homes, businesses, and public facilities. As the State, County, and the community work to recover and rebuild after this disaster, approving the request to include the costs of removing home foundations in PPDR reimbursement is an important step to ensuring that homeowners and the community can quickly continue the rebuilding process.
We urge you to quickly approve the State’s request to include the removal of home foundations and support the community in their economic recovery. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,