Local News in Brief : Quake Relief Complaints

A majority of homeowners in the earthquake-ravaged Uptown Whittier area say their earthquake disaster relief needs have not been met by existing programs, according to a survey of 1,750 homeowners completed this month.

Nearly half of the homeowners were turned down for disaster relief loans, and 75% said their emotional and financial needs remain unmet, the door-to-door survey by the Christian Reform World Relief Committee concluded. Lou Vandenberg, the committee’s on-site manager, said more than half of the homeowners in the area are senior citizens whose fixed incomes limit their ability to repay federal loans.

Richard Andrews, assistant director of the governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said it is not surprising a high percentage of senior citizens have been denied loans “since they are on fixed incomes, and that is a factor in repayment ability.”