New Call Center To Aid Temporary Housing
Release Date: October 31, 2005
Release Number: 1603-129
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- A call center in Chicago and increased staffing at an office in Baton Rouge will aid the delivery of travel trailers and mobile homes to Louisiana residents displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said 300 people at a FEMA processing center in Chicago have been assigned full time to call disaster applicants and to assess their need for temporary housing such as travel trailers and mobile homes. Another 150 personnel at the Baton Rouge Joint Field Office will process recommendations from the call center as well as from local, state and federal officials to assure that trailers and mobile homes reach those most in need.
People who have registered for disaster assistance need to stay in touch with FEMA and to make sure the agency has a correct contact phone number.
The way for hurricane victims to get travel trailers and mobile homes remains the same. First register for assistance by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 800-462-7585 for those with speech- or hearing-impairment, or online at www.fema.gov . Applications that show a need for temporary housing will be identified, and the Chicago center will contact the applicant and get the additional information to determine if a travel trailer or mobile home is a viable housing option. The Joint Field Office will coordinate with state and local officials and will arrange to deliver and hook up a travel trailer or mobile home at the approved site.
Priority for travel trailers and mobile homes will go to those who are in shelters and to people with special needs such as serious medical conditions.
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 and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003
Last Modified: Monday, 31-Oct-2005 10:58:08