WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Tens of thousands of Hurricane
Katrina evacuees are without resources for accommodations, so the American Red
Cross, in cooperation with FEMA, is extending its temporary housing assistance
program for an additional 30 days and will continue to grant extensions every
30 days until other options are available.
"We're almost three weeks out from Hurricane Katrina and many people are
still facing a housing crisis. They may have gone to stay with family, but
they can't stay there indefinitely. They may be in a town where a small
shelter is closing. Or the authorities may have airlifted them to a city
somewhere and put them in a hotel for a set number of days," said Michael
Brackney, manager of client service program development for the American Red
Cross.
"Rather
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TO HEALTH AND STATE EDITORS:
American Red Cross Assures Hurricane Evacuees Who Remain in Hotels:
Temporary Housing Assistance Program Will Continue for Another 30 Days
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Tens of thousands of Hurricane
Katrina evacuees are without resources for accommodations, so the American Red
Cross, in cooperation with FEMA, is extending its temporary housing assistance
program for an additional 30 days and will continue to grant extensions every
30 days until other options are available.
"We're almost three weeks out from Hurricane Katrina and many people are
still facing a housing crisis. They may have gone to stay with family, but
they can't stay there indefinitely. They may be in a town where a small
shelter is closing. Or the authorities may have airlifted them to a city
somewhere and put them in a hotel for a set number of days," said Michael
Brackney, manager of client service program development for the American Red
Cross.
"Rather than have those people uprooted again and have them go to a
shelter when their current situation runs out, we want them to know the Red
Cross and FEMA will cover the cost of an additional 30 days in a hotel and
will continue that support until other housing is available."
Evacuees who need this assistance must contact front desk staff at their
hotel to arrange to extend their stay for an additional 30 days, if space is
available. They will be asked for evidence of their pre-disaster address,
which must be in a ZIP code presidentially declared as a disaster area, and
for the number of people needing accommodations.
The temporary housing assistance program is a nationwide program and may
be used anywhere. However, the program is most useful outside the hardest-hit,
storm-ravaged areas where hotel rooms are most available.
Since rolling out earlier this month as part of a multi-pronged effort to
offer financial assistance to victims of Katrina, the transient housing
program has twice been extended to offer longer lodging stays. Previously, the
Red Cross announced Sept. 12 a 14-day extension for evacuees currently using
the program. To date, more than 179,000 hurricane survivors have been assisted
through this program.
All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by
voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help
the victims of this disaster and thousands of other disasters across the
country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross
Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food,
counseling and other assistance to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or
1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be
sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross,
P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online
contribution by visiting http://www.redcross.org.
SOURCE American Red Cross
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Related links:
http://www.redcross.org
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Public Affairs Desk, +1-202-303-5551
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