Evacuees in Oklahoma Hotels Must Find Long-Term Housing by December 15 

Release Date: December 9, 2005
Release Number: 3219-025

» More Information on Oklahoma Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Hurricane evacuees in Oklahoma have until Thursday, December 15, 2005 to transition into temporary housing, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

With FEMA's hotel program coming to an end, evacuees are urged to register with FEMA if they have not already done so and take advantage of three free housing resources – an in-state housing helpline, a website and a toll-free hotline -- for locating available rental housing.

Evacuees can call the Oklahoma Housing Finance Authority (OHFA) at 800-256-1489 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST) Monday through Friday or visit their website at www.ohfa.org/About/hurricane.htm for housing assistance.

Individuals can search Disaster Housing Resources at www.DHRonline.org to find properties by price, location and other details such as number of bedrooms and bathrooms. The site also contains useful information about assistance programs offered by FEMA and other government organizations. Property owners can list available rental units on the site for free. Hundreds of thousands of housing units are already listed on the website.

Another resource is FEMA's toll-free housing-locator service, available daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST , at 1-800-762-8740 or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for those with speech or hearing impairments.

Another evacuee resource is the federal Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD ) which has waived some of its requirements to help facilitate placement of hurricane-impacted families in appropriate housing. HUD FEMA registration is required for all applicants seeking HUD assistance. Visit the HUD website at www.hud.gov/katrina/index.cfm or call 888- 297-8685 Sunday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST .

Disaster victims who have yet to do so are urged to register for assistance with FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for those with speech or hearing impairments. It is also possible to register online at www.fema.gov .

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: Wednesday, 08-Feb-2006 09:40:49