FEMA Extends Hotel Deadline
By Kirsten J. Barnes
Montgomery Advertiser, Ala.
ALABAMA, November 23, 2005. Hurricane evacuees living in hotels who had been told they had until Dec. 1 to find new residences have had their deadlines extended until Jan. 7 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The extension applies to evacuees living in hotels in 10 states -- Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Tennessee and Texas, says acting FEMA Director R. David Paulison.
FEMA is picking up the tab for the hotel bills for the evacuees. As of Friday, there were more than 200 evacuees from Hurricane Katrina still occupying 172 hotel rooms in the tri-county area, including Pierre Andre' NaBonne Jr. and Marisa Smith, who are staying at Embassy Suites Hotel. NaBonne had planned to leave the hotel today to return to New Orleans to live with his daughter until he could find a new retirement facility. However, those plans changed after FEMA ordered his daughter out of her home because of mold. Just hearing the news of the extension gave NaBonne, 85, some cheer. "I heard it this morning on the news," NaBonne said, who is waiting to see if the hotel will honor the FEMA extension. He has already contacted another hotel, just in case. "I could go to another hotel, but if we have this extension I would just as soon stay here as opposed to moving," NaBonne said.
Montgomery FEMA spokesman Jay Eaker said letters will be sent to evacuees notifying them of the extension.
Last week Smith, 24, said she was "stressed out" after finding out that she had to find a place to stay by the end of the month. At the time FEMA had set a Dec. 1 deadline to stop hotel payments everywhere but Louisiana and Mississippi. The plan drew sharp criticism from Congress, city and state officials and housing advocates who said 15 days would not be enough time for evacuees to find stable housing. When Smith found out that the extension was only extended to two states she was upset. "I am a bit confused about why Alabama was not included in this. It makes no real sense to me. There is a large portion of evacuees still residing in the Alabama area," she said. "What are we supposed to do? Relocate to another state in hopes there are vacancies there for us?"
Upon hearing that the extension now includes Alabama, Smith calmed down. "I feel relieved. It helps me out just a little bit more," she said. "I should be in good hands by Dec. 15 if they let me stay, and they should." On Tuesday, a FEMA inspector contacted Smith to get information about her home in St. Tammany, La., which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. "I feel a little bit more secure now that I've actually talked to an inspector on the phone and I know that there is progress being made. I still have to check back with the inspector again," Smith said. "FEMA has kind of upped their pace a little bit."
Eaker said one of the problems for FEMA has been locating people who have moved from place to place since the hurricane. "What we run into, quite frankly, is a lot of people have applied for assistance but we can't get in touch with them and we don't mail a check unless we can get in touch with them," Eaker said.
Torey Smith, 25, has been to six states since the hurricane destroyed his home in Slidell, La. He said FEMA informed him that a check was cut for him at the end of September but he has yet to receive it. He's waiting for the money so that he can get on with his life. "My plan is to get into school, find a place and get on my feet," said Smith, who was studying physical therapy at the University of New Orleans. Smith has been staying at Country Inn & Suites for about a month and was relieved that he has a few more weeks to get his plans in order. "This gives me a little time to try to get on my feet. I've decided to stay in Montgomery," Smith said. "The people here have been nice."
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Copyright (c) 2005, Montgomery Advertiser, Ala.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
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