Fema Blamed for Katrina Housing Delay
A month after Hurricane Katrina, US authorities have placed just 109 Louisiana families in temporary housing.
A month after Hurricane Katrina, US authorities have placed just 109 Louisiana families in temporary housing. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) signed contracts worth $2bn (£1.1bn) for temporary housing in the aftermath of the disaster, including 120,000 trailers. By this week only 1,397 had been installed in Louisiana.
The news comes days after it emerged that Fema signed contacts worth $236m to hire three cruise ships to house evacuees. The ships remain less than half full, and have mainly been used by rescue workers. A total of 48,000 people are in shelters in Louisiana, and 30,000 Louisiana citizens remain in other states.
Fema officials blamed local officials for the delay. "This is not a takeover," said a Fema spokesman. "We have to work within the limitations set by state and local officials."
The strategy of creating large trailer parks has its critics. "You're concentrating people in the middle of nowhere, and once they're there it's very hard for them to get out," said Susan Popkin of the Urban Institute in Washington.
The parks, referred to as Femavilles, are seen by many as a dumping ground. Often isolated, with few services or amenities, they have been plagued by crime, poverty and unemployment.
The news comes days after it emerged that Fema signed contacts worth $236m to hire three cruise ships to house evacuees. The ships remain less than half full, and have mainly been used by rescue workers. A total of 48,000 people are in shelters in Louisiana, and 30,000 Louisiana citizens remain in other states.
Fema officials blamed local officials for the delay. "This is not a takeover," said a Fema spokesman. "We have to work within the limitations set by state and local officials."
The strategy of creating large trailer parks has its critics. "You're concentrating people in the middle of nowhere, and once they're there it's very hard for them to get out," said Susan Popkin of the Urban Institute in Washington.
The parks, referred to as Femavilles, are seen by many as a dumping ground. Often isolated, with few services or amenities, they have been plagued by crime, poverty and unemployment.
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