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FEMA
October 24, 2005
Washington, DC - The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross will soon complete the final step in transitioning oversight of the American Red Cross Special Accommodations Program for evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The transition will take place at 12:01 a.m., October 25 and will be called the FEMA Short-Term Lodging Program.
"It is our top priority to help individuals and families find and move into more appropriate temporary housing as quickly as possible, and we have established December 1st as our target date to complete this next stage of the road to recovery," said David Paulison, FEMA's Acting Director.
Corporate Lodging Consultants (CLC), Inc. will, under a contract with FEMA, continue to provide short term accommodations -- chiefly hotels and motels -- for evacuees through December 1, even as FEMA continues to work with evacuees to find safe and affordable longer term housing. In addition to providing referrals regarding transitional lodging for evacuees, CLC will continue to manage relationships with hotels and motels nationwide to ensure a smooth payment process. The terms and conditions of the program will be maintained as consistent with the arrangement with the American Red Cross. CLC estimates that approximately 200,000 evacuees are currently being housed under this program in approximately 65,000 rooms in nearly 10,000 hotels and motels nationwide.
"Today's announcement ensures that the change in oversight of this short-term lodging program will continue as needed for a short time and the handover will be seamless," said Paulison. "We want to make sure those evacuated individuals and families living in hotels and motels feel no disruption in their current living situation as FEMA and our voluntary partners work to help them find longer term housing."
Eligible Katrina and Rita evacuees seeking additional information on federal assistance available for longer term housing should call 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-462-7585 TTY) to speak with a FEMA operator.
"I want to personally thank the Red Cross for all their efforts to assist the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita," said FEMA Director Paulison. "Their transitional sheltering efforts helped thousands of displaced families move from congregate shelters to more humane accommodations."
FEMA will continue to partner with the Red Cross and other voluntary agencies to meet the ongoing recovery needs of all those affected by the devastating hurricanes.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
