HUD Takes On Housing Assistance Oversight For 30,000 On Dec. 1

WASHINGTON – Nov. 26, 2007 – Nearly 30,000 residents affected by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes will receive housing assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rather than the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) rental program on Dec. 1.

“Thousands of hurricane victims still need help,” says HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson. “That’s why earlier this year we decided to extend the rental housing program, but for FEMA to hand it over to HUD since we are in the long-term housing business.”

Families who have been contacted by a local public housing agency will see no break in rent payments.

HUD works with approximately 375 public housing agencies (PHA) and 12,000 landlords who will be implementing and managing the temporary rental assistance under the new Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) now run by HUD. HUD will deploy nearly 20 staff members to cities where the largest numbers of displaced families are currently living.

Individuals who believe they may be eligible for the DHAP program but have not been contacted should calls HUD’s toll-free referral center immediately at (866) 373-9509 Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 7:00pm EDT, 9:00am to 1:00pm EDT on Saturday and Sunday.

HUD also requires landlords and PHAs participating in DHAP to meet basic housing quality standards, as it does for all its programs. PHA’s must conduct limited inspections of units to make sure there are no serious health and safety problems.

Starting March 1, 2008, the level of rental assistance will be gradually reduced. Residents will pay a small portion of the housing cost, which will begin at $50 per month in March and incrementally increase each month thereafter until the program concludes on March 1, 2009. Seniors and the disabled whose primary source of income is Supplemental Security Income or other fixed income that make them eligible to receive assistance under existing HUD programs will be protected.

In January 2008, HUD will begin working with FEMA to transition remaining eligible families out of travel trailers and into rental housing in the private market.

© 2007 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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