[StBernard] Fema Recovery Update; Housing Website Available

[Westley Annis]

Fema Recovery Update; Housing Website Available 

January 5 , 2006

By: Steve Cannizaro


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BATON ROUGE - Here is an update on what federal and state agencies have done
in the three months since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit Louisiana. These
numbers, except where noted, are exclusive to Louisiana.

With an estimated 90,000 square miles impacted and 400,000 individuals
displaced by Hurricane Katrina, the storm is the single largest natural
disaster in FEMA's
26-year history.

33   Disaster Recovery Centers are open in Louisiana. DRCs are one-stop
information centers where victims can learn more about different types of
state and federal disaster assistance, including loans from the U.S. Small
Business Administration (SBA) for homeowners, renters and business owners.

45   States and the District of Columbia received Presidential emergency
declarations after Hurricane Katrina. This total is the most declarations
made for a single disaster in FEMA history.

759 vessels have been removed by the U.S. Coast Guard. FEMA has leased 1,576
units in cruise ships.

The SBA has approved 2,108 businesses for disaster assistance loans. Total:
$160.7 million.
             There are 2,967 federal housing units occupied. This consists
of HUD- and USDA-approved housing.

The SBA has approved 14,471 loans to homeowners and renters. Total: $993.7
million.

For homeowners, renters and business owners, the SBA has approved a total of
16,579 disaster loans, totaling more than $1.2 billion in Louisiana.

Approximately 23,881 travel trailers and manufactured housing units are
temporary homes for hurricane victims. Louisiana has a significant number of
such housing among impacted Gulf Coast states. In all, about 62,830 units
are temporary homes for Katrina victims - nearly triple the number of units
used after all of last year's Florida hurricanes and far outstripping any
housing mission in FEMA's history.

LA Swift, the free emergency bus system between Baton Rouge
and New Orleans for displaced residents, has completed more than 27,000
round trips.

FEMA's Disaster Medical Teams worked around the clock at the New Orleans
airport during the peak of patient movement operations, treating 49,000
patients. The team gave 65,000 immunizations and provided crisis counseling
to 5,800 individuals, among other medical services.There are thousands of
damaged roofs that have been temporarily covered by FEMA's "Blue Roof"
program, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The program allows
families to remain in their homes as they rebuild. More than 107,000
claimants have been approved for disaster unemployment assistance.

In Louisiana, 228,388 checks were issued for Other Needs Assistance. The
program provides assistance for serious disaster-related needs to impacted
individuals.

FEMA has completed 948,936 housing inspections. The inspection process
includes a complete overview for structural damage. The inspector will look
at the foundation, roof, flooring, drywall and ceiling. Heating, cooling,
electrical and plumbing systems are also reviewed. The inspector will record
all disaster-related damages, and a survey of damaged personal property,
clothing and vehicles may also be conducted.

FEMA has issued 1.4 million housing assistance checks, totaling: $3.1
billion.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has removed 25.3 million cubic yards of
debris. FEMA has reimbursed the state at 100 percent for this expense and
will continue to do so through June 30.

FEMA has obligated $109 million in unemployment assistance for eligible
hurricane victims in Louisiana who signed up during the application period.

FEMA has paid or reimbursed more than $325 million for hotel and motel rooms
for those without housing.

FEMA has approved $539 million in Community Disaster Loans in Louisiana to
help keep essential services online in the hardest hit communities,
including a $120 million loan to the City of New Orleans.

Nearly $901 million has been approved to individuals for Other Needs
Assistance.

The SBA has approved more than $1 billion in disaster assistance loans to
business owners, homeowners and renters in Louisiana.

Nearly $1.1 billion in federal dollars has been allocated for Public
Assistance projects, such as debris removal and emergency services in
Louisiana, equaling the amount allocated for PA grants in Florida over the
eight months following the 2004 Hurricane Season.

FEMA has paid out $3.1 billion in housing assistance. 

FEMA has provided more than $4 billion directly to Katrina victims for
financial and housing assistance through the Individuals and Households
Assistance Program (IHP). This is more than the $1.2 billion used for IHP
after last year's Florida hurricanes. This amount is the most ever provided
to victims by FEMA for any single natural disaster, nearly doubling the
combined total of IHP dollars for the Northridge Earthquake in 1994 and
1992's Hurricane Andrew.

More than $5.6 billion has been obligated in Public Assistance grants for
repairs of roads, bridges, water control facilities, parks and other local
properties.

FEMA projects an $11 billion payout in housing assistance. This includes
payments for rental, lodging, repairs, replacement and other needs. FEMA
projects $23 billion in payments under the National Flood Insurance Program
to policyholders. To date, nearly $9 billion has been paid out in Louisiana.


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BATON ROUGE - Victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita can search for
available rental housing using Disaster Housing Resource Online (DHR Online)
at www.dhronline.org. DHR Online is an easy-to-use website that lists
immediately available rental properties. Victims can search by location,
price range, and housing description including number of bedrooms and
bathrooms.

One evacuee, who is currently living in a motel, was successful in finding
housing through DHR Online. After applying, she was put in touch with a
leasing manager at a local apartment complex in Baton Rouge, and within
three hours, she was approved for her apartment. She will be moving into her
apartment in January.

The U.S. Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says
DHR Online was an important asset in locating housing for people displaced
during the 2004 hurricane season and believes that it will be a valuable
tool to help Gulf Coast residents recover from this year's hurricanes. Also,
property owners who have an apartment or house for rent can list their
available properties on this website at no cost.