Utah to hand off evacuees

By the end of this month, Utah should be out of the business of housing hurricane evacuees from the Gulf Coast.

Nearly 400 evacuees now receive rental assistance through 184 leases under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's public-assistance program. The Utah Department of Public Safety said Monday that a private business has begun taking over the leases, which are now administered by the state.

However, not all of the 379 individuals may be eligible for continued coverage after the switch to privately owned Corporate Lodging Consultants. The state has established a "long-term recovery committee" to address those cases, estimated to be fewer than 30, said Derek Jensen, with the Department of Public Safety's Division of Homeland Security.

"Ultimately, the goal is to help these people in any way that we can if they're not going to qualify for individual assistance," he said.

For the other Gulf Coast evacuees, a switch to FEMA's individual-assistance program is in their best interests because it allows them more flexibility to move from state to state and select their own residence, Jensen said.

To qualify for individual assistance, evacuees must prove that they lived in the affected area, said Joe Castel, FEMA's public-information officer.

FEMA will contact those now receiving public assistance to determine their continued eligibility under the new program. Eligible recipients will have their leases transferred into their names for administration by Corporate Lodging Consultants.

To make the process go as smoothly as possible, evacuees must make sure that FEMA has their current information, Jensen said. "It's really key that they keep their address information updated," he said.

Castel praised Utah's hurricane response and willingness to help house the Gulf Coast residents. It is now time, he said, for someone else to oversee the housing issue.

Individuals with questions about their continued eligibility can call FEMA directly at 1-800-621-3362 or Utah's Katrina Hotline at 1-866-764-0506.

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com