WASHINGTON, June 12 (UPI) -- Some lawmakers want the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency stripped of its responsibility for disaster housing needs.
Calling it a lesson learned from Hurricane Katrina, the Housing Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives' financial services panel has approved a bill designating the Housing and Urban Development Department as the lead agency for handling long-term housing needs resulting from major disasters.
The bill, designated H.R. 5393, was approved by voice vote last week, Congress Daily reported.
It makes several other changes to federal disaster-declaration law aimed at easing the U.S. Gulf Coast's recovery from Katrina. The provisions include allowing only three trailers per site after a disaster to avoid the creation of crowded FEMA trailer parks; and allowing disaster victims to decline a trailer without losing eligibility for other assistance, Congress Daily said.
FEMA, still in charge of housing some 10 months after Katrina struck late last August, has been criticized for its inflexible housing rules toward those whose homes whose were damaged or demolished in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama by the hurricane.
The measure was sponsored by Rep. Richard Baker, R-La., whose district includes Baton Rouge. In instances where housing services may be needed for more than 30 days, the bill would allow the president to designate HUD as the lead agency in providing such housing, Congress Daily said.
The bill also would require federal, state and local governments to develop emergency evacuation plans specifically for disaster victims living in temporary FEMA trailers and calls for victims to be notified before trailers are delivered to their property, the report said.
