By Judge Greg Mathis

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the federal government scrambled to send aid to the hardest hit areas, to rescue survivors trapped in heavily flooded New Orleans, and to find suitable shelter for those lucky enough to escape their homes before the storm hit. It’s been four months since Katrina--and then Rita--devastated the Gulf Coast and the government is still scrambling. Officials have to yet to reveal a long-term plan that provides stable housing for evacuees, many of them elderly or ill. With no real strategy in place, federal and local resources, as well as the patience and faith of the storm’s victims, are being put to the test.
Just before the holidays, Katrina evacuees across the country were told they’d have to check out of their government-paid hotel rooms in early January. Thanks to a ruling by a federal judge, the deadline has been extended to February 7. Those currently living in FEMA-funded apartments have until March to take over the leases themselves or find other housing. In cities such as Houston and Atlanta, where the largest number of evacuees have temporarily settled, this will be extremely difficult. Houston Mayor Bill White has said his city is “full” and has expressed concern that the local social service agencies will be pushed to their limits when the leases expire.  The city of Houston alone has housed over 100,000 people in area apartments; an estimated 400,000 evacuees flooded Houston after the storms hit. Because of delayed federal payments, many landlords have begun to evict the FEMA tenants they have. Others have chosen not to rent to evacuees, saying they couldn’t "break even" on three month leases. This growing housing crisis isn’t limited to hotels and apartments; those currently living in FEMA-provided trailers also face displacement.  Leases on several thousand trailers expire this month.

Several housing organizations have publicly criticized FEMA for not educating evacuees on the types of federal housing programs available.  By failing to clearly outline a plan for the housing transition, the federal government is set to push several hundred thousand people into homeless shelters.  Already, thousands of Katrina evacuees are living in shelters or on the streets around the country. Caring for these displaced individuals and families is taking its financial toll on the states that initially welcomed them. Texas estimates it will cost the state an additional $500 million to care for the evacuee population; other states face a similar budget crisis. Local officials say the burden wouldn’t be so great if the federal government were to make promised reimbursement payments in a timelier manner.
Katrina’s victims have been through enough. As they check on the slow-moving progress of rebuilding efforts and look forward to an eventual return home, the last thing they should have to worry about is whether or not they’ll have a roof over their heads while they wait.  The federal government has had plenty of time to develop a housing strategy for evacuees. FEMA and the Bush administration must move away from crisis management and begin to develop a real plan for making sure those affected by the hurricanes won’t continue to be further victimized by the federal government’s incompetence. 

Editor’s note: Judge Greg Mathis is national vice president of Rainbow PUSH and a national board member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.