Louisiana/FEMA Assess Need For Travel Trailers In More Parishes
Release Date: October 26, 2002
Release Number: 1435-89
» More Information on Louisiana Tropical Storm Isidore
Baton Rouge, LA -- Recovery officials are continuing to evaluate the possibility of providing additional travel trailers to serve as temporary housing in a broad sweep of parishes hit hard by Tropical Storm Isidore and Hurricane Lili.
"We are working hard to deal with a major housing shortage in the hardest hit areas," said Carlos Mitchell, federal coordinating officer for the disaster. "Unfortunately there is very little housing available in certain areas for disaster victims."
State Coordinating Officer Art Jones said, "Our job is to provide workable answers to unmet needs. If safe, sanitary and secure temporary housing is not available, we will look into travel trailers as a short-term possibility."
Jones said that Acadia, Iberia, Lafayette, Lafourche, St. Mary, Terrebonne and Vermillion parishes are being considered for potential placement of travel trailers.
Both officials emphasized that the travel trailers are considered an interim solution until adequate housing is available. Priority for the short-term housing will be people with critical disaster housing needs: people now in shelters, people with medical conditions able to live in trailers, families living in crowded conditions and persons living in damaged homes that are not safe.
Jones explained that finding acceptable sites for the travel trailers is not a simple matter:
- Local zoning and building codes, occupancy permits, environmental rules and other restrictions must be respected; and
- Sites selected for travel trailers must usually be outside of the floodplain, have functional water, sewer, and electrical utilities and be inspected by local and state authorities before residents can move in.
The temporary trailers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are available to qualified families who have applied for state and federal disaster aid. The travel trailers will be located either at a homeowner's damaged residence site or in an existing travel trailer community. Other plans will be considered after an evaluation is made of additional housing needs.
Applicants first must register for assistance by calling 800-621-FEMA to be considered for any form of federal-state disaster housing, including travel trailers. Individuals with hearing or speech impairments may call (TTY) 800-462-7585.
If applicants are willing to accept a travel trailer and agree to the terms, they will be leased a unit. They must agree to maintain the trailer in good condition. There is no rent. The lessee pays utilities.
Last Modified: Thursday, 24-Jul-2003 16:23:35