FEMA Hotel/Motel Program Extended In Mississippi to Jan. 7 

Release Date: December 13, 2005
Release Number: 1604-172

» More Information on Mississippi Hurricane Katrina

JACKSON, Miss. -- The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has granted Mississippi's request for an extension of FEMA's short-term lodging program for Hurricane Katrina evacuees. The new deadline for the hotel/motel program in Mississippi is Jan. 7, 2006, as opposed to Dec. 15, 2005.

"I am pleased that FEMA has taken this necessary action," Governor Haley Barbour said. "It will at least help get some families displaced by Katrina through the holidays as we aggressively seek permanent housing solutions."

Mississippi was one of 10 states with the highest concentration of evacuees in hotel rooms that received a deadline extension to help evacuees find longer-term housing on the condition the states provide FEMA with a housing placement plan. Hurricane evacuees currently occupy about 2,400 hotel rooms in Mississippi.

Other states eligible to request the Jan. 7, 2006 extension are: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Nevada, Tennessee and Texas.

Nick Russo, federal coordinating officer for the disaster recovery operation in Mississippi, granted the extension following receipt of a housing placement plan and timeline from Governor Barbour. The extension was approved to accommodate efforts to move all evacuees out of hotels and into apartments and longer-term housing.

"The extent of damage to housing alternatives has presented a unique challenge to Mississippi," said Russo. "Yet, we are confident the extended deadline will provide the necessary time to help place evacuees here in longer term housing."

FEMA continues to reach out to evacuees through public service announcements, local media, and by distributing flyers to evacuees in hotels and motels to provide them with further information about the assistance they may be eligible for and help in finding alternative housing options.

To date, Community Relations and Human Services Strike Teams have conducted more than 2,400 interviews with displaced individuals and families to assist them in finding solutions to meet their long-term housing needs. The Strike Teams continue to work throughout Mississippi to contact all hurricane evacuees in hotels and motels before the Jan. 7, 2006 deadline and assist them in creating their housing plan.

Several options are available to displaced individuals and families seeking long-term housing:

  • Evacuees may contact FEMA's housing locator service at 1-800-762-8740 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- or hearing-impaired, open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST.
  • FEMA and other agencies have partnered to provide housing alternatives and assistance through the Mississippi Disaster Housing Referrals website at www.msdisasterhousing.org. The website offers listings of available housing throughout the United States for individuals and families displaced by Katrina.
  • Disaster Housing Resources (www.dhronline.org) is a FEMA funded program administered by the Center for Disaster Risk Policy. The website provides listings for available rental, or free housing across the United States. This week, over 200,000 available units were listed on the website. Available units are categorized as follows: house, apartment, condominium, duplex, efficiency. Users are able to search for housing by state; then either city, county, or zip code. A refined search capability is also available to specify further details such as price range, number of bedrooms and baths.
  • Individuals and families who were Section 8 voucher holders or residents of other Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assisted housing, may seek assistance from HUD's Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program (KDHAP). Other eligible participants in this program are HUD assisted families and individuals who resided in a HUD-sponsored homeless shelter prior to Hurricane Katrina and who resided in one of the federally-declared disaster areas within Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama. To learn more about HUD's KDHAP, call 1-866-373-9509 or (TTY) 1-800-877-8339 for the speech- or hearing-impaired.

    • For other forms of assistance, evacuees should contact FEMA's help line at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- or hearing-impaired or visit the FEMA website at www.fema.gov.

    Last Modified: Wednesday, 14-Dec-2005 11:11:27