The citizens of New York City would like to thank FEMA

[Biggirl]

They’re the Emergency Agency, I don’t see why they shouldn’t be creating emergencies all over the US. Why not start here in my town?

There are just not enough homeless in New York City, thought FEMA’s planning arm, Let’s do something about that.

Finding affordable housing in New York is hard enough for most, but victims of Hurricane Katrina are facing eviction from hotels and may end up ringing in the New Year in the city’s homeless shelters.

That prospect led to shouting, anger and disgust at a meeting on Friday where officials took questions about the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s decision to stop paying for hotel rooms beyond Dec. 1 for those stranded by Katrina.

I especially like the “tough love” aspect of this decision by FEMA:

FEMA says the decision is part of a push to get people into permanent housing

According to this NYT story that’s about 2250 people.

Who’s big idea was it to relocate a bunch of people from a warm climate with nothing except the clothes on their backs into a city with one of the highest housing costs in the country, just so they can dump them in the street the beginning of winter? That is genius emergency planning! Really, could you have planned to cause an emergency any better?

Stupid or evil? You decide.

[Giles]

@Biggirl

Stupid or evil? You decide.

Do I have to? Can’t they be both?

[Merijeek]

I don’t see them cutting off the funding as the problem here. After all, it has to be done at some point.

However, we’ve had FEMA for quite a long while now, and apparently there’s no plan for long-term relocation of people displaced in a large-scale natural disaster. Isn’t planning a good part of their frickin’ job?

Where’s the plan? Does the “M” in FEMA mean “management” or is it actually “manglement” or “mismanagement”?

-Joe

[Biggirl]

I agree that the payments had to stop sometime, I disagree that they should stop at the beginning of what looks to be a long, cold winter. Now that’s disaster planning!

[Ponder_Stibbons]

The same story hit the news here in Dallas last week, and some local FEMA official was quick to make the announcement that this is, as you quote above, “part of a push to get people into permanent housing” and followed up by saying that FEMA had absolutely no intention of making anyone homeless as a result. It’s just a push to get people from very temporary housing (i.e., hotels) to medium-range temporary housing (i.e., apartments).

I guess we’ll see, come December 1, what they will actually do.

[Voyager]

@Ponder Stibbons

The same story hit the news here in Dallas last week, and some local FEMA official was quick to make the announcement that this is, as you quote above, “part of a push to get people into permanent housing” and followed up by saying that FEMA had absolutely no intention of making anyone homeless as a result. It’s just a push to get people from very temporary housing (i.e., hotels) to medium-range temporary housing (i.e., apartments).

I guess we’ll see, come December 1, what they will actually do.

So, do tjhey intend to assist people in finding apartments? Or, for the New York case, will they just assume that the displaced will have no problem considering the glut of inexpensive, high quality apartments in New York. :dubious:

[Earthworm_Jim]

@Ponder Stibbons

some local FEMA official was quick to make the announcement that this is, as you quote above, “part of a push to get people into permanent housing”

I’m curious if anyone knows what the other parts of the push are.

Grand FEMA Plan

1. Stop paying for temporary housing.
2. ???
3. Disaster victims successfully relocated to permanent housing!

[World_Eater]

Stupid.

[Merijeek]

@Voyager

So, do tjhey intend to assist people in finding apartments? Or, for the New York case, will they just assume that the displaced will have no problem considering the glut of inexpensive, high quality apartments in New York. :dubious:

Well, we know that the folks at FEMA don’t get their ideas from TV…so we can’t blame Friends, Sex and the City, and all them other NY-based shows where the characters have aparments that would cost a fortune on a monthly basis…

We all know they don’t watch TV…

-Joe, wondering what cufflinks he should wear

[Dangerosa]

@Merijeek

Where’s the plan? Does the “M” in FEMA mean “management” or is it actually “manglement” or “mismanagement”?

Federal Emergency Mancala Association. Its all a big misunderstanding, they were hired to play games.

[waterj2]

@Earthworm Jim

I’m curious if anyone knows what the other parts of the push are.

Grand FEMA Plan

1. Stop paying for temporary housing.
2. ???
3. Disaster victims successfully relocated to permanent housing!

I’m reminded of a cartoon with a scientist showing off his new proof on a blackboard, where the middle step was “then a miracle occurs.”

Hmmm… miracle starts with M. Maybe we’ve gone faith-based when it comes to emergencies.

[Booker57]

What happened to all the trailer homes the Gov’ment had parked a few states North of NO? At one time I heard that they, FEMA were looking for a place to put them, an emergency trailer park with hook-ups for utilities and such. Any word on what happened there?