“Getting people back into secure housing is costly,” said Sylvia Heinz, coordinator for the Haines Long Term Recovery Group, established soon after a devastating December landslide and rainstorm destroyed homes and killed two Beach Road residents.
The group had distributed $646,000 in assistance as of June 30, but residents will need more help rebuilding their housing and their lives, and the organization’s funds are starting to dwindle, Heinz said in an interview July 2.
“We don’t have enough funding to meet all their needs,” she said. “We’re starting to really focus on raising more funds.”
Donations “poured in” after the disaster, the organization’s co-chair, Sara Chapell, said in a prepared statement June 30. “Generosity has fueled our ability to respond to the individual needs of survivors in our community.”
But the work continues, and more money is needed. “We expect rebuilding to continue into next year’s building season, and that will take resources,” Chapell said.
Debris removal and disposal — mostly housing material, including homes and trailers beyond repair — could cost upward of $1 million, the group said in its six-month recovery update.
The storm and slide destroyed nine or 10 housing units, with an additional 18 still uninhabitable.
In addition to debris removal and disposal, the group has provided rent and mortgage assistance, food and personal items, and helped with repairs, rebuilding driveway access to housing, and mental health support.
“The whole process of recovery takes a long time,” Heinz said. “Definitely, we have a long road ahead for recovery.”
Collecting and properly disposing of waste material “remains a sobering and significant need,” she said.
The recovery organization said it has established a working group of local and tribal governments, along with private-sector representatives, to craft a plan for handling the cleanup and disposal “of the ruined construction materials, destroyed appliances and vehicles and storm debris that remains.”
The borough’s efforts starting this week to rebuild Beach Road, allowing access for residents and restringing power lines, will help several displaced people get back to their housing.
The recovery group has been coordinating individual assistance efforts since December, working with nonprofits, tribal government, the faith community, government agencies and the private sector.
The group has provided case management services for 109 households and nonprofits. Of those, 77 households are still receiving assistance, the recovery group said, including 23 that still were displaced as of June. “Every case has unique challenges,” Heinz said.
“The needs remain sobering, however, as in most cases private insurance does not cover the lost homes and property damage,” the organization said June 30.
A Mennonite Disaster Service three-member team is expected in Haines at the end of the month to assess what the nationwide volunteer network can do to help repair or rebuild housing. Though the organization provides volunteer labor, Haines will need to come up with the materials, Heinz said.