By Spencer S. Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 3, 2009

The Obama administration will announce plans today to virtually give away roughly 1,800 mobile homes to 3,400 families displaced by Hurricane Katrina who are living in government-provided housing along the Gulf Coast, officials said.

The administration also will make available $50 million in rental vouchers to income-eligible trailer occupants who move to targeted housing projects, and take over from Louisiana the job of helping residents find permanent homes, said a senior White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity before the formal announcement.

"We knew we needed to bring this program to a close," the official said. "We also want to ensure a humane and secure transition for all of them."

The sale option comes weeks after the trailer program formally ended May 1, and after Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said they could begin officially referring cases for eviction June 1.

FEMA typically provides disaster aid for 18 months. It extended assistance for 45 months since Katrina hit in August 2005.

About 1,150 families in FEMA housing live in units the agency classifies as mobile homes and park models, which will be offered for sale at $5 and $1, respectively. FEMA expects to free up an additional 600 to 700 units from its inventory to donate through state and local governments and nonprofit groups, the administration official said. Individuals who previously bought units will be offered refunds.

It is unclear what impact the changes will have. Many local jurisdictions refuse to alter zoning ordinances to allow small manufactured homes.

Thousands of existing vouchers from the Department of Housing and Urban Development that are becoming available in Louisiana are going unused. Some trailer occupants await promised grants to rebuild their homes or do not want to leave their home sites. Others do not want to move to HUD-subsidized housing or to pay more rent. Some occupants are so sick, elderly or dysfunctional that they require more help to find housing, officials said.

Spokesman Clark Stevens said FEMA is committed to working with families case by case, adding that 139,000 other households have cycled out of the trailer program. "No one will face evictions from a temporary unit while these new measures are implemented," he said in a written statement.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/02/AR2009060203897.html?g=0

I'm still undecided about my opinion on this

FEMA is also considering placing storm victims in foreclosed homes.

The federal government is exploring how to put Florida hurricane evacuees in foreclosed homes if a Katrina-like storm devastates the region and shelters, hotels and other housing options are full.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/hurricane/sfl-fema-foreclosed-homes-060309,0,2526140.story

Criminy! By all means, let hussein give the whole damned country to his bruthas, NOT! This is pathetic. I know too many people who were hit by those hurricanes, and not JUST Katrina. They rebuild and go on, but then they have backbones and aren't so lazy they just sit there with their hands out waiting for someone else to do all the work. Everyone knows which group is still sniveling about Katrina, and why they don't deserve any MORE help down there.

I think it's a good idea if they qualify to keep up the foreclosure.

And what group with that be?

I am quite torn, one hand it will be a nice helping hand to anyone facing such loss as hurricanes etc., but on the other hand, when things are given out freely few recipients know how to act and treat the property of others.

not sure most will be able to qualify as most would have lost everything, homes, etc., and be underwater as most of the homes in foreclosure.

fran...that is the problem I have too.

I know tax payers have paid a lot into Louisiana to fix the levees BEFORE Katrina and they weren't fixed (I can't find the link where I saw that now) and I know flood insurance is expensive...but people shouldn't live in a flood zone without it. It doesn't pay for everything, but I would be more willing to help those that helped themselves first. we have paid so much before and after Katrina. I feel for these people, but at the same time....we keep spending money. had they fixed the levees like they should have...MAYBE it wouldn't have been as bad

Its costly to transport these trailors..It might be cost effective to leave them where there at...I seen the "Trailors" they moved into the Punta Gorda area after charley and to move them and set them up probabaly costs more than they are worth...

Sending trailers to a hurricane zone always made me go HMMMMMMMMMMMM.... (MORE PROJETILES FOR THE NEXT ONE!!!)I live iN A HURRICANE ZONE one and have seen what these storms can do..

temp..you have a point. some people don't think that it costs to move things like that when it is actually expensive

exactly - I mean we all know no one can control or predict Mother Natures wrath. Things happen with and without warning.

I think the levees may have reduced the damage but not by much but this is jmo.

I don't know if a levee could stop it waters if strong or high enough (i'm not and engineer lol...though i play one on TV lol) but those levees were pretty crappy and never fixed. if I rememebr the article, the money was used on fountains or something for tourists. tourism brings money there, but not when there isn't a city to tour. i would think stronger and better levees would have cut down a lot of the damage (not all, but it wouldn't be AS bad)

The Levies will fail again...Its only a matter of time..YOU CANT STOP MOTHER NATURE....The levies now are only patched and not brought up to withstand anything over a catagory 3...

that's what I thought. build them stronger and maybe it would reduce some of the damage before the next one

the government has sent money to fix the levees...not patch them up

and as we have entered hurricane season, I can only hope we don't even have to go thru a Cat 1 hurricane, as that alone will do damage.

what boogles my mind, as well, is not having flood insurance (some people). I know it's expensive, but it is what is needed if people live in a flood zone, especially on the coast or where a hurricane can damage the house

I am so with you with these sentiments.

Guess people just took it for granted as it had been sometime since last hurricane catastrophe that they adopt the wont happen to me attitude.

and that is why I'm on the fence about helping I guess. Not to mention the states where the refugees came to. I feel bad that these people lost everything...it's heartbreaking, but at the same time...I still don't believe everything was done that could have been done...by the state and the people.

Its not the poor smuck who cant pay that boggles my mind...Do some research on homes rebuilt on some of the barrier islands by tax payer money...One home off of Alabama was rebuilt 17 times...A MULTI million dollar home rebuilt by you and me!!!!!