FEMA to close LA Katrina trailer parks

by René | November 29, 2007 at 04:07 pm

657 views | 0 Recommendations | 0 comments

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency is planning to close by Friday as many as 13 trailer parks in Louisiana where victims of the 2005 hurricanes are currently living.

The move is intended to help the hurricane victims move into more stable, permanent housing, FEMA said. But advocates are concerned that high rents and a tight housing market in the still-recovering area could leave some struggling to find a place to live.

Most of the trailer parks FEMA plans to close are in New Orleans.

Some residents didn't find out until recently.

Biggest problems these displaced people face are the high rents. Many owners want assurances that new tenants can pay the rent once the FEMA or HUD grants run out in 2009.

But many do not make three and half times the rent and can't meet these requirements.

Small rental owners have to finance all the repairs and renovations themselves. The FEMA program to help them has not paid out $1 yet. So once a rental that was damaged by Katrina and the flooding is fixed up, they have to charge more rent than pre-Katrina.