Deadline Near for Katrina HUD Aid
By Yolanda Putman, Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn.
Jul. 28–Hurricane Katrina evacuee Gail Gonzales borrowed money, accepted donations and ate potted meat and crackers for nearly two years until she learned about HUD’s Disaster Voucher Program this month.
“We’re just now getting disaster relief,” said the 63-year-old mother of three from Port Sulphur, La., a city about 65 miles south of New Orleans.
With the help of Catholic Charities of Chattanooga, Mrs. Gonzales signed up for the program less than two months before the deadline for new admissions on Sept. 1.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is trying to inform as many people as possible that the time for new admissions for its disaster voucher program is about to end. The program gives hurricane evacuees funds to pay rent. It also gives evacuees priority to receive a housing choice voucher or be placed in public housing, officials said.
“We need families to register by September 1,” said Donna White, HUD spokesperson. “Go to the Chattanooga Housing Authority and say, ‘I’m an evacuee, and I need to sign up for disaster housing assistance.’ “
Tammie Reeves, the housing authority’s housing choice voucher program director, said 12 people have received emergency vouchers and four others are undergoing criminal background checks. No evacuees are denied housing assistance unless they fail the criminal background check, she said.
Evacuees should bring Federal Emergency Management Agency letters or documentation to show that they are a hurricane evacuee.
HUD officials said they have no estimate of how many hurricane evacuees have not signed up for the program. There may be cases of evacuees who live with relatives and may not understand that they may qualify for their own housing choice vouchers or may receive public housing, officials said.
The program also provides funds for evacuees who were homeless.
About 11,400 families are receiving disaster housing assistance from HUD. The funding is scheduled to end Sept. 30, but housing officials have agreed to extend the funding until June 2008 for the 3,800 families who were homeless, living in senior and disabled housing or in public housing before the storm.
About 7,600 people in the program received Section 8 housing. All of those residents will become standard housing choice voucher participants in January 2008.
E-mail Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com
ELEMENTS 12 local evacuees have received HUD disaster vouchers. Another four have begun the process and having background checks. More people are expected to apply.
1 local evacuee denied participation in the program, failing a criminal background check.
11,400 families across the country participate in HUD’s disaster voucher program.
HUD has spent $260 million for rental assistance for evacuees since Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.
Sept. 1 is the deadline for new evacuees to sign up for HUD’s disaster voucher program.
TO SIGN UP Hurricane evacuees who need to sign up for HUD’s disaster voucher program may come to the Chattanooga Housing Authority office at 801 N. Holtzclaw Ave. and bring a copy of their Federal Emergency Management Agency letter or other documentation that shows that they are a Hurricane evacuee.
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