If you're too lazy to look for work and rent's due

[Tiger in Spain 0]

Cut-off families sue FEMA

Suit asks that the agency continue to pay rent for those it ruled ineligible

Six Hurricane Katrina evacuees will ask a judge to order the Federal Emergency Management Agency to continue housing assistance for thousands of evacuees threatened with loss of benefits and potential homelessness.

A class action lawsuit, expected to be filed today in federal court in Houston, says FEMA's response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita has been "wholly inept." It echoes complaints by housing advocates, city officials and others that the agency has unlawfully disqualified thousands of evacuees from its housing programs and has provided confusing and contradictory information.

As a result, the lawsuit alleges, "tens of thousands of the most vulnerable Americans — among them the elderly, the disabled, children and the poor — are faced with the real threat, through no fault of their own, of becoming homeless."

<snip

FEMA contends that more than 7,000 Houston evacuee households, and an estimated 17,000 households nationwide, are ineligible for the individual assistance program.

After Mayor Bill White objected that many of these evacuees were in fact eligible, FEMA agreed to let Houston evacuees remain in the voucher program until June 30.

For the rest of the country, the agency intends to end the program May 31.

The lawsuit asks a federal judge to instruct FEMA to continue the voucher program nationwide at least through June 30, to develop fairer and clearer guidelines for providing housing assistance, and to pay utilities in addition to rent.

"Long term, this is about getting FEMA to fix a broken system," said Michael A. Caddell, lead attorney for the evacuees.

The agency's arbitrary and unfair decisions, Caddell said, are illustrated by the case of Nicole Alston, 30, a single mother of three whose rental house in River Ridge, La., was damaged when a tree fell on it during Katrina.

Alston relocated to Houston and signed a one-year apartment lease based on FEMA's assurances that it would cover her rent and utilities for a year, the lawsuit states.

FEMA now says Alston is ineligible for further assistance because the Louisiana house has been repaired, Caddell said. But the house is unavailable, he said, because the owner rented it to another family for a much higher rent than Alston was paying.

When Alston appealed FEMA's decision, the agency "denied rental assistance with no further explanation," the lawsuit states.

"I am furious with FEMA — furious," Alston said Thursday. "For them to try to kick me and my kids out is kind of harsh." (FEMA didn't rent out your old house, FIND ANOTHER PLACE)

<snip>

Link

[Bottomfeeder 244]

I think I saw her on the news the other night.

I'm tired of paying for other people's problems. If it's not an employer who is over extended, it some poor soul who skipped school and got pregnant out of wedlock. This is the kind of stuff that makes me glad they had to evacuate. Now, we can analyze who really means business and take the appropriate action. Or rather, watch our liberal government continue to give handouts to individuals that want nothing more than something for free. A real taxpayer would not want to sue because it only increases future taxes. A real taxpayer would have a job by now :huh:

(FEMA didn't rent out your old house, FIND ANOTHER PLACE)

I think she is referring to the temporary housing.

[SouthLink02 8]

Not everyone is like this down here but that doesn't stop many from the ridiculous assumptions about the entire city.

FEMA is still and will always be a joke.

Hopefully, Bush takes Congress' advice and dumps the entire thing.

Handouts? Friends can't even get a FEMA person to answer simple questions that have nothing to do with money.

[BamaGrad03 0]

You have to admit that the thought of temporary housing a year later is kind of the opposite of its original intent.

There are thousands upon thousands of people down there who have picked up the pieces. If you are still living off of the government a year later, its time to do something about it.

[Tiger in Spain 0]

(FEMA didn't rent out your old house, FIND ANOTHER PLACE)

I think she is referring to the temporary housing.

236324[/snapback]

No, it was her old rental home in Louisiana according to the article. She is upset because FEMA is pushing her away from the teat. I guess this house in question is the only rental property in Louisiana.

The agency's arbitrary and unfair decisions, Caddell said, are illustrated by the case of Nicole Alston, 30, a single mother of three whose rental house in River Ridge, La., was damaged when a tree fell on it during Katrina.

Alston relocated to Houston and signed a one-year apartment lease based on FEMA's assurances that it would cover her rent and utilities for a year, the lawsuit states.

FEMA now says Alston is ineligible for further assistance because the Louisiana house has been repaired, Caddell said. But the house is unavailable, he said, because the owner rented it to another family for a much higher rent than Alston was paying.

When Alston appealed FEMA's decision, the agency "denied rental assistance with no further explanation," the lawsuit states.

[Tiger in Spain 0]

You have to admit that the thought of temporary housing a year later is kind of the opposite of its original intent.

There are thousands upon thousands of people down there who have picked up the pieces. If you are still living off of the government a year later, its time to do something about it.

236378[/snapback]

EXACTLY! Thank you, BG.

SL, I am positive there are many New Orleanians that have either overcame the obstacles from hurricane Katrina or are moving forward in that direction. Unfortunately, these aren't the people the rest of the country are seeing in the news. They are seeing the 5th generation housing project crowd still holed up in some hotel in Houston nearly 9 months after the fact, absolutely refusing to get off their dead asses and do something for themselves and quit soaking up our tax dollars.

[Ranger12 46]

Not everyone is like this down here but that doesn't stop many from the ridiculous assumptions about the entire city.

FEMA is still and will always be a joke.

Hopefully, Bush takes Congress' advice and dumps the entire thing.

Handouts? Friends can't even get a FEMA person to answer simple questions that have nothing to do with money.

236365[/snapback]

FEMA will always try to act like it is more important then what it is and not act upon half that self-importance. I think we should get rid of FEMA also. It had never been as important and as active as local EMAs and it never will be. FEMA is just another bureaucracy that people have to go through to get what they need. We could save alot of money by just setting up a government budget for national catastrophes without the need for added financial strain needed to staff and run FEMA.

I think a year is long enough to be living on the government's dime, especially since state employement agencies and staffing agencies around the country have been giving preference to displaces Katrina evacuees.

[AUJarhead 70]

its time to do something about it.

Yes, like GET A JOB.

[TrueBlue72 0]

Too many of the NO evacuees, once they got past the initial tragedy, look at the whole situation as an opportunity. They have been trained for a couple of generations, to look for any opportunity to bilk the government/taxpayers any way possible.

As far as FEMA goes, it is a government bureaucracy. Have you ever seen any government bureaucracy that works effectively?

[abrnfanatc 6]

tem·po·rar·y( P )  Pronunciation Key  (tmp-rr)

adj.

Lasting, used, serving, or enjoyed for a limited time.

n. Informal pl. tem·po·rar·ies

One that serves for a limited time: an office staffed by temporaries.

There are many who may have never seen this definition...not just in NOLA.

[BamaGrad03 0]

Ya'll remember that lady who kept getting interviewed after Katrina? She was a 40 something redneck who lived in Miss. She lived in a trailer type deal and it was still standing...but she was bitching about FEMA and kept going "where's FEMA? where's my new house? all I know is somebodys building me a new house"

Unfortunatley, thats what we are dealing with.

[SouthLink02 8]

FEMA will always try to act like it is more important then what it is and  not act upon half that self-importance. I think we should get rid of FEMA also. It had never been as important and as active as local EMAs and it never will be. FEMA is just another bureaucracy that people have to go through to get what they need. We could save alot of money by just setting up a government budget for national catastrophes without the need for added financial strain needed to staff and run FEMA.

I think a year is long enough to be living on the government's dime, especially since state employement agencies and staffing agencies around the country have been giving preference to displaces Katrina evacuees.

236387[/snapback]

Oh, I agree completely on the FEMA decision.

If my fatass can go to law school and still WORK a new job because of Katrina, those lazy SOB's can too.

Nothing pisses me off more then those type of people.

What bothers me is when people lump ME into those certain evacuee's.

I don't care if FEMA ever gives me a dime but I do have a problem with most of their work here and the pace it gets done.

It is truely a disgrace how slow they work, whether it is getting keys to vehicles, getting paperwork done, returning phone calls, having phone lines available, having any answers, ext....

If the government doesn't want people to have these services for us....then tell us. But don't have them tell us to go to FEMA for answers....and then proceed to get nothing for MONTHS and then not complain.