Learn what a FEMA campers are and how you can purchase one
These campers are temporary residences manufactured by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), to serve as temporary residences for people affected by the Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.
They were initially built to replace the tents people were using and to serve as a more comfortable shelter before people found the means to purchase new homes.
How a FEMA camper looks like
A FEMA trailer has one master bedroom with one standard size bed, two bunk beds a kitchen with stove and a bathroom. The extra options and accessories vary with the model, but most of these trailers have a shower, electricity, air conditioner, refrigerator, microwave and some pieces of furniture – to put it in a nutshell, the trailer has all the basic facilities to accommodate a two-adults and two-children family.
How you can purchase a FEMA camper
FEMA offered these trailers to the families in need and requested no money for them in return, but it wasn’t a donation, just a temporary transfer of usufruct rights from the government to the families. This means that these trailers still are the property of the US government and need to be given back where there’s no more need for them. This way they are collected and the surplus of campers is sold via public auctions organized by the General Services Administration. So the first way someone can purchase such a trailer is by participating in these public auctions.
In 1995 in Florida, after Hurricane Andrew passed, many people considered buying this camper for the price of $1,100 and these people sell their campers every now and then. So the second way of purchasing a this trailer is by participating in open auctions organized by these owners.
Storm, hurricane or other natural disaster victims can also apply for a this camper and so far almost all applications have been granted. Large families were also given the opportunity of benefiting from two or more such trailers. For more information on how you can apply for a FEMA trailer, you will find fema.gov a valuable resource.
