Housing.com News, Analysis & Opinion: FEMAVille Tales: The Clock Is Ticking

To give you an idea of what kind of heartbreaking conditions may be awaiting people who move into "FEMAville" trailer parks, Rolling Stone has an in-depth essay on a trailer community created after Hurricane Charley, and how rough the situation is for those who live there.

"What is bewildering about the Katrina situation is why the federal government has chosen the trailer-park option over alternatives that are proven to be more effective and efficient," says Bruce Katz of Brookings. "Housing vouchers would give low-income and moderate-income families the ability to rent quality apartments or homes in neighborhoods with ready access to educational and employment opportunities. And providing vouchers for the next eighteen months would also be cheaper than the temporary options selected by the government."

Notice also that my earlier coverage (and the RS article) noted that the hotel reimbursments were supposed to be indefinitely extended. I wonder what suddenly prompted FEMA to pull a 180. Might have something to do with that massively unbalanced budget, perhaps....

Trackback Pings

FEMA is setting a deadline to move evacuees out of hotels. The National Multi-Housing Council points out the incredible difficulties of adhering to this deadline, many of which have been caused by FEMA itself. To give you an idea of what kind of heartbreaking conditions may be awaiting people who move into "FEMAville" trailer parks, Rolling Stone has an in-depth essay on a trailer community created after Hurricane Charley, and how rough the situation is for those who live there. The money quote: "What is bewildering about the Katrina situation is why the federal government has chosen the trailer-park option over alternatives that are proven to be more effective and efficient," says Bruce Katz of Brookings. "Housing vouchers would give low-income and moderate-income families the ability to rent quality apartments or homes in neighborhoods with ready access to educational and employment opportunities. And providing vouchers for the next eighteen months would also be cheaper than the temporary options selected by the government." I think we've been here before, you and I. Notice also that my earlier coverage (and the RS article) noted that the hotel reimbursments were supposed to be indefinitely extended. I wonder what suddenly prompted FEMA to pull a 180. Might have something to do with that massively unbalanced budget, perhaps....