SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — With hotel vouchers for flood victims set to expire in a few weeks, a group of volunteers just started a campaign to extend those vouchers by several months.
Angie Landavazo said she will never forget the sight of flood waters overcoming her backyard and neighborhood in Mountain View on Jan. 22.
“My whole backyard was covered. It looked like a pool. That’s when I went into panic,” Landavazo said.
In the end, the 4-foot-high water inside wiped out nearly all the belongings of her family of three. They did have flood insurance for the house, but the personal property lost wasn’t covered.
In the aftermath, Landavazo says she is grateful for hotel vouchers. Her family is currently at the Comfort Inn in Chula Vista.
“Every day, you’re reliving what’s going on, but at least I have somewhere to go, a bed to sleep on,” said Landavazo.
When the County took over the voucher program in mid-February, it determined that hundreds of displaced families, more than 900 people in all, were eligible.
Those vouchers expire on Mar. 25, and advocates working with flood victims worry they won't be extended.
“People definitely are going to need more than 19 days to fix their home,” said Aaron Swanton.
Swanton, a band member who lost equipment to the floodwaters, helped form Together San Diego, which has organized volunteers for the relief efforts.
A few days ago, they started an online petition drive to have the County extend the hotel vouchers by 90 days.
“People are just beginning to pick up the pieces of their lives … The last thing they need to worry about is being homeless,” said Swanton.
While FEMA has given out hotel rental assistance or funds, Landavazo says it isn't enough.
She expects to be out of her home for several months but knows of neighbors who will be out much longer. She says those neighbors are getting a fraction of the assistance they need to rebuild their homes, which means the rebuild will be slow.
“I feel for them … There is already trauma from the flood. Now, you add more … saying you we can’t extend you,” said Landavazo.
Together, San Diego hopes to present the petition to the County Board of Supervisors at an upcoming meeting.
