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If you are reading this page it is likely because you were affected in some way by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita in Louisiana and/or Texas. It is my hope that I can offer some assistance in navagating the maze of information regarding governmental agencies, non-profits and other resources available to help you get back on your feet.
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DISASTER AID DEADLINE EXTENDED
BATON ROUGE, La. ? The State of Louisiana and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security?s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today the deadline to apply for disaster aid for damages stemming from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is being extended to Jan. 11, 2006.
?There are still hundreds of people registering every day,? said Vice Admiral Thad Allen, principal federal official and federal coordinating officer for the Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts. ?We don?t want people with uninsured damages to their homes or businesses to miss the chance to register. That is why we are extending the deadline.?
Jan. 11, 2006 will now be the last day for residents to apply for state and federal disaster assistance to help them recover from the hurricanes that ravaged the Gulf Coast. Jan. 11, 2006 will also now be the deadline for submitting applications for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
All that is required to apply for disaster assistance is one toll-free phone call to FEMA. That number is 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for people who are speech- or hearing-impaired. Lines are open 24-hours a day, seven days a week until further notice. Hurricane victims may also register online at www.fema.gov or they can get assistance in registering at any Disaster Recovery Center (DRC).
For those people who suffered damages from Hurricane Katrina, assistance is available to any eligible resident of the 31 designated Louisiana parishes who suffered uninsured or under-insured losses due to the hurricane and flooding.
The 31 designated parishes are: Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Pointe Coupee, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana.
For those people who suffered damages from Hurricane Rita, assistance is available to any eligible resident of the 22 designated parishes who suffered uninsured and under-insured losses due to the hurricane and flooding.
The 22 designated counties are Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Cameron, Calcasieu, Beauregard, Evangeline, Iberia, Jefferson, Jefferson Davies, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Plaquemines, Sabine, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Vernon, and West Baton Rouge. After the application deadline, FEMA?s toll-free phone line still will be available to assist those who have already registered. Applicants who have questions about the disaster assistance programs or questions about the status of their previously filed applications should continue to use FEMA?s toll-free number.
To date, nearly 1.4 million residents of the state have applied for aid, and $2.57 billion dollars have been approved.
LOUISIANA WEEKLY HOUSING UPDATE
BATON ROUGE, La. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) and the State of Louisiana’s urgent priority is providing temporary housing. Helping victims find a safe place to live is an essential first step toward getting them back on their feet. To date, the total number of temporary housing ready for occupancy exceeds 46,500 units throughout the affected Gulf states.
At the close of business on Nov. 26, in Louisiana: 11,441 travel trailers and mobile homes on private, industry, group and commercial sites are occupied; 2,351units on cruise ships are occupied; 925 FEMA-leased hotel rooms are occupied, and 2,820 units of federal housing provided by the United States Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are now occupied.
There are also several housing sites under construction throughout Louisiana. Crews are working continuously to complete these sites in various parishes including St. Charles, Calcasieu, Orleans, St. Bernard, Jefferson and East Baton Rouge.
The following charts provide detailed information on the types of housing available and a listing of housing units currently occupied by parish.
Cumulative Housing Summary for Louisiana
Type Units Occupied
Travel Trailer - 7,762 Units Occupied
Individual Assistance**
Travel Trailer - 2,978 Units Occupied
Industry**
Mobile Homes - 701 Units Occupied
Federal Housing - 2,820 Units Occupied
HUD -Housing & Urban Development
USDA -United States Dept. of Agriculture
FEMA Leased Hotels/Other - 925 Units Occupied
Cruise Ships - 2,351 Units Occupied
TOTAL: 17,537 Units Occupied
**Travel trailers are categorized as Individual Assistance (assistance for affected individuals and families) and Industry (housing assistance for displaced workers who have returned to bring critical facilities back online).
This table shows the parishes with housing units currently occupied.
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