[StBernard] St. Bernard Trailer Residents Want More Time

[Westley Annis]

I saw one video on WWL's website that covered the meeting and I seem to
recall a statement was made that St. Bernard parish did not even HAVE enough
rental properties to house all the residents of the travel trailers.  Can
anyone confirm whether that statement was made or is it true?

Jim






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	St. Bernard Trailer Residents Want More Time
	Council Passes Emergency Measures
	
	POSTED: 11:22 am CDT August 23, 2007
	UPDATED: 11:39 am CDT August 23, 2007
	
	
	CHALMETTE, La. -- The St. Bernard Parish Council has approved three
	emergency measures aimed at giving FEMA trailer group site residents
some
	relief.
	
	The council approved ordinances calling for FEMA to allow residents
to move
	their trailers to other locations; for FEMA to re-establish a
Chalmette site
	as the "consolidated" site for trailer residents who cannot find
alternate
	housing; and, finally, for the federal agency to allow residents to
buy
	their trailers.
	
	The flurry of ordinances, each approved 6-0, came during a
drawn-out, often
	confusing discussion. The council's ordinances likely will face an
uphill
	battle with FEMA.
	
	Andrew Thomas, an agency spokesman, said FEMA has suspended its
trailer
	sales program while awaiting the results of testing to determine
levels of
	formaldehyde in the trailers.
	
	Thomas said the agency also is not transferring trailers to private
sites.
	And, finally, he said a consolidated site would be considered only
as a last
	resort.
	
	The residents complained that FEMA hasn't been responsive to them,
that they
	need more time to get their lives together post-Hurricane Katrina,
and that
	they cannot afford the rents demanded by the private rental market
in St.
	Bernard Parish.
	
	The council has approved a plan in which the first five group sites
will be
	closed Aug. 3, with five more phased out by Jan. 31.