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Fact Sheet: Transitional Housing Assistance for Hurricane Katrina Evacuees

Release Date: 09/23/05 00:00:00

President Bush Is Committed To Moving All Evacuees Out Of Shelters By The Middle Of October. In Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, hundreds of thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed in one of America's largest natural disasters.  These families will need to find longer-term housing.  The Federal government will help the citizens of the Gulf Coast overcome this disaster and rebuild their communities.  

  • Today, The Federal Government Announced A Comprehensive Housing Assistance Program.  To meet the immediate needs of individuals and families displaced by Hurricane Katrina, the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Housing & Urban Development (HUD) announced measures to provide transitional housing assistance to evacuees.  The Federal government is taking action to cut through red tape and bureaucracy and provide evacuees with flexibility, choice, and portability, so they can move from temporary shelters to more stable housing.  
  • Evacuees Should Register Through The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  For Federal housing assistance, evacuees must register by calling FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or visiting www.fema.gov.  

Facilitating Immediate Housing Needs

DHS Is Expediting Aid To Evacuees With Immediate Housing Needs.  Because of Hurricane Katrina's unprecedented scope and the widespread dispersion of evacuees, FEMA is accelerating the Assistance to Individuals and Households program, which provides previous homeowners and renters with housing assistance.   Rental assistance will begin with payments for three months of housing totaling $2,358 and will be extended for qualifying evacuees up to 18 months.  

  • Housing Assistance To Evacuees Will Be Streamlined.  To reduce up-front paperwork and provide immediate aid, households will receive an initial lump sum rental assistance payment to cover three months of housing needs.  This payment is determined by a national average of the fair market rent for a two-bedroom unit.  Because rental assistance is being delivered in an expedited fashion to get money to evacuees immediately, it may be necessary to reevaluate qualifications to adjust payments to families after the first three months.

HUD Is Providing Specialized Housing Assistance To Evacuees. While the majority of evacuees will receive assistance through FEMA, some are instead eligible for comparable benefits under HUD's Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program.  Housing vouchers will be given to evacuees who were previously in HUD-assisted housing programs or are homeless as a result of Katrina but are otherwise ineligible for FEMA assistance.  These vouchers give evacuees the choice and flexibility they need to find housing for 18 months.  Through these programs, displaced families will have the opportunity to relocate to cities and towns of their choice where the housing availability and job markets meet their immediate needs.  

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Sept. 23, 2005

This page was last reviewed/modified on 09/23/05 00:00:00.