Houston Runs Out Of Room For Evacuees

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This is what is going on on the evacuee situation in Houston. We have an estimated 150,000 total evacuee's living here in Houston at last count. That is a pretty firm number from the use of all the different services that have been helping them. This is from Channel Two in Houston.

Houston Runs Out Of Room For Evacuees
Hot Line Helps Evacuees Find Housing Outside Houston

POSTED: 11:41 am CST December 13, 2005
UPDATED: 3:17 pm CST December 13, 2005

HOUSTON -- Housing options in the Houston area for hurricane evacuees waiting to find permanent homes are running low, Houston Mayor Bill White said at a news conference on Tuesday.

White said available housing units throughout Houston that are a part of the city's Housing Assistance Program are almost full. He said only about 3,500 rental units available through the program are left in the city.

"We don't want people coming into the community from Baton Rouge or other places thinking that they will find some housing where the housing stock simply isn't available because it is full," White said.

City officials said about 100,000 evacuees have been placed in about 30,000 units throughout Houston.

Houston will stop issuing new vouchers for the city's housing program for hurricane victims by the end of Wednesday.

White said he was asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency to further extend the date for which it will pay for refugees' housing and to work with other cities to find housing for them.

White also urged FEMA to help cities understand how much they'll have to pay for housing refugees, come up with a list of other U.S. cities that have housing and job opportunities for refugees, and create a better system of reimbursing local governments the public safety costs beyond police overtime.

"Failure to implement these suggestions ... will cost taxpayers money," White said. "It is unacceptable for people to have to go back to live in tents or shelters. This is a cost effective and efficient way for this nation to approach this very important task."

Hurricane evacuees still in need of permanent housing can call (713) 221-1636 for housing options available outside of Houston.

The mayor's announcement came a day after a federal judge ruled the Federal Emergency Management Agency could not stop paying for hotel rooms until Feb. 7.

FEMA had wanted to move evacuees out of hotel rooms by Jan. 7.

The temporary restraining order came in a lawsuit filed by advocates for victims of Katrina, which slammed the Gulf coast on Aug. 29.

Attorneys bringing the lawsuit had argued that sticking to a January deadline would mean homelessness for thousands of evacuees.

FEMA spokeswoman Nicol Andrews said the agency would review the judge's decision and continue to reach out to help those evacuated get the help they need.

The Justice Department said no decision has been made on whether to appeal.