Merced County says housing solutions have been provided to residents displaced by flooding

Planada residents who were displaced by January flooding and staying at the Felix Torres Migrant Center have been provided with housing plans, according to Merced County officials.

After collaborating with community, state and federal partners, the county has developed housing plans for families located at the Felix Torres Migrant Center temporary housing site following the January floods. According to the county, 45 families were initially housed at the site. Of those 45 families, 26 of the families identified a plan for housing with the remaining 19 requiring assistance to find housing options, according to a Merced County news release.

The temporary housing is to help bridge the gap until permanent solutions are available, according to Mike North, spokesperson for Merced County. North said each housing plan is unique to the individual with some cases including temporary sheltering at hotels while other cases involve households developing their own plans such as staying with family, returning home or finding a new residence.

The county said those 19 families with be placed in temporary housing until repairs to their homes are completed or a permanent home is identified. Catholic Charities will also provide services for the residents and case management services are available to all impacted female registered individuals in Merced County for up to two years, according to the release.

The FEMA application period ends on Thursday, March 16 for residents impacted by the January flood events.

“We are working hard to accommodate residents affected by the flood events,” said District 1 Supervisor Rodrigo Espinosa, according to the release. “Merced County greatly appreciates the help we’re receiving from our partners in this effort,” Espinosa said.

According to the release, the United Way is continuing to coordinate with and assist local organizations to get various identified needs into the community. For information about available resources in the community, residents are advised to contact the United Way 211.

The migrant center, which is owned by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, is operated by the Merced County Housing Authority. According to the county, when statewide flooding began in late 2022, the California Office of Emergency Services, the California Department of Housing and Community Development and the Merced Housing Authority quickly worked to open the seasonal housing at the migrant cente as an immediate and interim refuge for those fleeing their homes as a result of the dangerous flooding.

In February, Planada residents and community activists attended a Merced County Board of Supervisors meeting voicing their frustration and asking the county for additional assistance for displaced families residing at the Felix Torres site, who were told they would have to leave the facility on March 15. Some community members and activists disputed the county’s assessment of damaged homes at that time saying some Planada residents were expecting to be homeless on March 16.

While speaking during a public comment period of the Feb. 28, board of supervisors meeting, Madeline Harris with the Merced County Leadership Counsel said some Planada residents were being told the weyre able to return to their homes based on what she claimed was substandard inspections of homes with visible mold.

During the Feb. 28 meeting, District 4 Supervisor Lloyd Pareira Jr. said the Merced Housing Authority is expected to lose control of the Felix Torres site on April 1, when control reverts back to the federal government. The reason residents displaced by the floods must vacate the facility on March 15 is to allow time for the units to be prepared for incoming residents.