For Victims, Speed Is of the Essence : Federal disaster agency is overwhelmed but undaunted

Thousands of Southern Californians are hungry, homeless and, in some cases, nearly penniless. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other federal, state and local disaster officials, are making progress on their pledge to speed up relief efforts. But, for many victims, exasperating waits continue. It’s true that FEMA, the Red Cross and all the other hard-working relief agencies are being asked to do the impossible. But anything less than that will fall short of what’s needed.

From the start, compassionate disaster officials led by FEMA Director James Lee Witt zeroed in on the most vulnerable families, those who continue to camp outdoors in city parks. When rain and colder weather threatened, they asked the National Guard to put up tents--a considerable improvement on the lean-tos and other makeshift shelters of blankets and sheets.

THE CRUSH: FEMA also deserves credit because President Clinton’s emergency response team, which included Witt, housing secretary Henry G. Cisneros and transportation secretary Federico Pena, got here in a hurry. Along with dedicated--and at times exhausted--state, county and city officials, FEMA opened the first disaster assistance centers three days after the quake--five days ahead of the response to Florida’s Hurricane Andrew. Good start. Even so, the first centers understandably fell short of meeting the overwhelming need.

On opening day, the 11 disaster assistance centers, overwhelmed by the crowds, provided little immediate comfort to the thousands of people who waited for hours in line. Many were given mystifying appointments to return as late as mid-February. What they needed was a roof over their heads immediately.

President Clinton noticed and has asked for $4 billion in federal earthquake aid, authorizing up to 30 disaster centers to speed aid distribution. Twenty disaster centers were expected to be open today, staffed with the help of 1,000 state employees and 1,000 federal workers sent from across the nation and Puerto Rico. Cisneros, the bilingual housing secretary, was also communicating in Spanish at the camps and on Spanish-language media to get information to Latino victims. This is most helpful.

VOUCHERS FOR VICTIMS: Cisneros also expedited the distribution of federal housing vouchers to get earthquake victims out of tents and shelters and into more permanent housing as quickly as possible. Well over 2,000 families received those coveted certificates over the weekend. As many as 10,000 housing subsidies are available to help low-and-moderate-income people who lost homes and, in some cases, jobs because of the Northridge earthquake. Newly poor or unemployed victims can also qualify for vouchers for rooms at moderate-priced hotels, thanks to fast work by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.

All who lost their homes, whether rented or owned, may qualify for FEMA grants to pay for temporary rental quarters or repairs. FEMA is shortening the process to get those checks out more quickly.

Today, one week after the earthquake, thousands remain without an address of their own; more than 27,000 have applied for help. Witt, the FEMA director, points out that this nation has never had to respond to a housing disaster of this magnitude. But a week on a cot or in a tent can seem like forever.

Whatever the obstacles--bureaucratic or otherwise--they must be quickly overcome. And care needs to be taken to avoid creating unnecessary ones. Senate minority leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) said Congress should finance the earthquake aid with hard-to-find spending cuts. This is a standard not applied to previous disasters--and a potentially devastating cause of delay. Dole should back off--or people may remember him the next time a string of tornadoes hits Kansas.