U.S.

FEMA Reportedly Denied Thousands Of Housing Aid Appeals In Puerto Rico

NBC reports FEMA has denied more than 335,000 applications for disaster assistance so residents could repair their homes.

FEMA Reportedly Denied Thousands Of Housing Aid Appeals In Puerto Rico
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Since Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico last year, FEMA has reportedly rejected or not responded to thousands of appeals for housing aid.

NBC reports FEMA has denied more than 335,000 applications for disaster assistance so residents could repair their homes. 

The outlet says many of those applicants decided to appeal their cases. But FEMA either denied or didn't answer 79 percent of the appeals.

FEMA says an application can be deemed ineligible for aid if there's insufficient damage to the home, the applicant couldn't be contacted for a home inspection or FEMA couldn't verify the applicant's identity — among other reasons.

This year's hurricane season officially kicked off last month, and Puerto Rico is still dealing with the aftermath of Maria. Thousands of homes are still without power, and the death toll from the catastrophic storm is still in question.