Many Hurricane Katrina Victims Struggling To Recover

New Orleans, LA (AHN) - With the closure of another FEMA trailer park where Hurricane Katrina victims had been living, there are new concerns over a lack of available housing.

While some of the people who were living in FEMA trailers have found rental apartments, or been able to renovate their storm-ravaged homes and move back into them, many people have not found another place to live. Some of them have moved to motels, but many disabled people are in danger of becoming homeless, local charities officials say.

Some of the problem was caused when FEMA had to close some trailer parks earlier than it had planned, after dangerously high levels of formaldehyde were found.

But other problems came because FEMA hasn't provided adequate support to victims.

That lack of support included an early, and continuing, failure to distribute supplies to Katrina victims. Instead, the agency paid to store cleaning supplies, blankets and home furnishings in warehouses for years before selling them as surplus.

Much of the work of helping Katrina victims get back on their feet has fallen to charities, which continue to solicit the public for help to get the survivors back home and on their feet.

Unity of Greater New Orleans is one such charity. It has posted to its web site lists of items that individuals need to resettle in homes, along with a call for volunteers. Unity is a consortium of 12 faith-based organizations.

Other organizations, such as the Homeless Alliance and the Community Initiatives Foundation have also formed consortiums to help Katrina survivors make a fresh start.