ARLINGTON — Cascade Valley Hospital Foundation has set aside $670,000 that will be used to help victims who lost homes in the Oso landslide or the subsequent flooding.
The money will be distributed to individuals and families who apply through the Arlington Family Resource Project. The fund provides up to $30,000 per family for up to 24 months.
Foundation President Barbara Tolbert said that as families and the region recover from the disaster, they appear to be focusing more on long-term housing.
“This is a need that is not being met elsewhere,” Tolbert said.
What the board has heard, she added, is that the amount of money coming from the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been less than what some people expected, and whether the county will buy vacated properties in the slide zone is unresolved.
“Some of these families are caught in a precarious position until the county and FEMA decide what to do with the land,” Tolbert said.
The Cascade Valley Hospital Foundation manages and distributes money raised by other organizations and individuals but doesn’t have a fundraising function of its own.
There are some limitations placed on the money in the housing program. The $30,000 maximum amount is per family that lived together at the time of the slide, not per family member. It’s only to aid those who lost primary residences, and it will be paid directly to creditors.
“The funds will be paid to mortgage institutions, banks, landlords, rental companies, wherever their housing costs are paid,” said Heather Logan, a board member for the foundation.
In addition to the 43 people who died in the March 22 slide, 36 single-family houses and 12 manufactured homes were destroyed by the slide or the flooding that occurred when the North Fork Stillaguamish River was blocked by debris.
Some of those homes were secondary or vacation properties and therefore will not qualify for the program.
The program will last until the money is fully distributed or until Nov. 1, 2016, whichever comes first.
Tolbert said that after talking to families, the board felt that the housing grants program would be appreciated.
“We also think it’s what honors what the donors intended,” Tolbert said.
The Cascade Valley Hospital Foundation has been managing a relief fund for slide recovery efforts. The fund has distributed or otherwise allocated approximately $1.8 million, of which $1.2 million has directly aided families, $430,000 has been given to first responders and $139,500 has been distributed for other uses.
The foundation has about $200,000 unallocated, Logan said.
The relief fund is still open, but money has been coming in at a much slower rate than earlier. The foundation’s board will consider closing the books in January, Logan said.
Chris Winters: 425- 374-4165; cwinters@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @Chris_At_Herald.
Aid for families
Victims of the Oso mudslide who lost a primary residence in the slide or flooding might be eligible for financial aid for housing. The money is being distributed by the Arlington Family Resource Project.
To apply for the program, call the project at 360-629-5257. Money may be used for down payments, mortgage payments or rent and will be paid directly to financial institutions or landlords.
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