In the wake of the 2003 southern California wildfires, we served hundreds of families and insurance adjusters. The fires occurred in our community; our home office is located in San Diego. We hope that through the communication of our observations, we all will be better prepared to assist families in handling large-scale devastation.

At DMA Insurance Housing Assistants, our housing coordinators work with displaced families on a daily basis. While we are well versed in attending to the details of relocating families, we do not profess to understand the individual feelings of each family member. We have found that people react differently and it is important for us to be compassionate and empathetic, and to understand that everyone's situation is different.

This was especially true handling relocations at the time of the wildfires. A number of the families we worked with had lost not only their residences, but loved ones as well. We knew that the best way to make an impact was to facilitate the process of finding housing for these families in order to help them resume some semblance of normalcy in their lives.

Typically, in a non-catastrophe situation, families that lose their homes to fires or other circumstances may have several housing options available, depending on the rental market. When hundreds of families are displaced at the same time, they find themselves competing against their friends and neighbors for the same rental properties.

This was especially true when the southern California wildfires hit. Rentals were becoming scarce, and many families were concerned about what to do with their pets, having to settle for small apartments, and so on. When searching for temporary housing in non-catastrophe situations, we urge families to look at the properties as soon as possible. After a catastrophe, timing becomes even more important.

On the other hand, some policyholders may not be ready to search for temporary housing right away. If they have other options, they may want to consider waiting until the flurry of activity related to locating rentals calms down. Many of these families will be out of their dwellings for a year or even two. It is important that they choose a residence in which they will be comfortable living for that amount of time.

We field many questions from policyholders relating to their policies and insurance companies. We defer to insurers to answer specific questions about insureds' policies. Many of the families we work with are not familiar with the ins and outs of their policies, and often do not know that their policies offer additional living expense coverage. A reputable temporary housing company will recommend that policyholders ask these questions of their insurance adjusters.

Many intangible factors related to the rebuilding process can affect the length of time that families are in temporary housing. Local municipalities may have long review times associated with issuing construction or building permits. Some families may not be ready to initiate the rebuilding process immediately. It is important to remember that all of the families in a catastrophe situation are in need of answers to their questions, and guidance from their insurance companies, at the same time.

Whatever the circumstances, a temporary housing company can help families and adjusters by managing the costs and details of the relocation by negotiating appropriate lease terms and handling the communication of key dates (for example, when to give notice that the family is moving out) throughout the process. The use of such a company has proven to be a valuable resource for both policyholders and adjusters.

Jenna Henry is an area manager for DMA Insurance Housing Assistants.

Special Reports /

Relocating Families in Times of Catastrophe

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