FEMA Urges Hotel/Motel Evacuees To Find Housing Alternatives 

New Authorization Process Offers Case-By-Case Evacuee Support

Release Date: January 11, 2006
Release Number: 1603-272

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BATON ROUGE, La. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness emphasize that now is the time for families living in hotels and motels to take responsibility and make important decisions on future housing options.

If you are currently living in a hotel/motel room paid for by FEMA, you must begin looking for longer term housing immediately. FEMA will stop paying your hotel/motel room bills on Feb. 7 unless you call FEMA for an authorization code by Jan. 30.

FEMA’s new authorization code process begins immediately to provide direct-bill hotel assistance beyond Feb. 7 to evacuees on a case-by-case basis. When you call FEMA for your authorization code, FEMA will give you the code over the phone and tell you how long you will be able to stay in the hotel under the FEMA program. The authorization code will allow FEMA to work closely with families to ensure they are registered with FEMA for assistance and to ensure they are fully processed for rental-assistance eligibility before making the transition to longer term housing. Once you get that authorization code, FEMA will pay your hotel room until at least Feb. 13, 2006.

“FEMA is making great strides in helping families transition to longer term housing,” said Scott Wells, the federal coordinating officer. “It is important that people recognize FEMA’s hotel/motel program will end soon, and individuals and families must take ownership to find suitable housing.”

“State officials pushed to get as much time as possible to allow people to live in hotels and motels,” said State Coordinating Officer Col. Jeff Smith. “The reality is that the end for this program has come, so we strongly urge individuals to explore options available to them.”

More than 1,300 FEMA employees and partners, including 800 Community Relations staff members and 500 call-center staff, are working directly with evacuees to help them understand their options for moving out of hotels and motels and into longer term housing.

Information will be supplied through local media as well.

Applicants who need more information about housing assistance should call:

The hotel/motel program was part of FEMA’s emergency sheltering initiative during the response phase. The agency is now moving into the recovery phase and providing continued assistance to eligible applicants who were displaced due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

FEMA has so far provided rental assistance to more than 700,000 families across the gulf coast region. Fewer than 26,000 families still remain in hotels and motels nationwide. More than $400 million has been spent by FEMA to provide hotel and motel rooms rent free to evacuated individuals and families for more than four months.

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.

Last Modified: Thursday, 12-Jan-2006 08:30:56