THE TIMES-PICAYUNE
FEMAs slow pace in producing a strategy to house displaced disaster victims has irritated lawmakers, particularly those along the Gulf Coast. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, FEMA provided trailers for hurricane victims.
WASHINGTON — FEMA on Tuesday missed a second deadline for producing its plan, in the works since the 2005 hurricanes, for housing displaced victims of the next major American disaster.
The congressionally mandated report was supposed to be finished last June. Criticized for the delay, a top FEMA official promised at a hearing last month that it would be ready by April 1. It is now unclear when it will be done. More on FEMA Misses Second Housing Report Deadline
Filed under FEMA by admin
NEW ORLEANS, La. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues to search for housing throughout Louisiana to help families transition from travel trailers to more suitable housing.
FEMA encourages both landlords with available rental property and displaced applicants looking for housing to call the FEMA Louisiana Rental Resources Department at 1-888-294-2822. FEMA representatives are available from Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. to assist callers with listing their available rentals or with locating affordable rentals near school or work.
Landlords and applicants may also call the national FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech or hearing-impaired, from Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Spanish translators are available.
People with Internet access can search rental properties at asd.fema.gov/inter/hportal/home.htm, a consolidated database of all rentals located by FEMA; www.lahousingsearch.org, a housing site maintained by the state of Louisiana or hudapps.hud.gov/nhls/, a site maintained by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Web sites are updated continuously, so applicants should check back often.
Landlords calling to register their properties should be prepared to answer a few basic questions related to their rental unit, such as type of dwelling, number of bedrooms and baths, handicapped accessibility, pet policy, monthly rental amount and other items of interest to renters.
FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
| March 8, 2008 |
| 9:30 am | to | 5:00 pm |
A community journey to emotional wellness, sponsored by the Red Cross.
The purpose of the event is to help demystify mental health treatment for the residents of New Orleans and encourage them to seek help for post-Katrina emotional challenges.
Participants will be able to take part in discussions on: “Dealing with the Blues,” “Parenting Children with Post-Katrina Emotional Challenges,” “Caring for the Elderly with Post-Katrina Emotional Challenges,” “Emotional Challenges in the Faith-based Community” and “Helping the Helper.”
Free parking, free admission, free lunch, free childcare.
Location:UNO Lindy Boggs Conference Center, 2500 Lakeshore Dr., New Orleans
Contact Information:
For info: (800) 814-1477 or www.redcross.org/goodbyeblues
