Katrina housing effort reported stumbling

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- A month after Hurricane Katrina struck, the federal government's temporary housing effort for evacuees is reported stumbling.

After Katrina left thousands of people homeless, the Federal Emergency Management Agency signed contracts for more than $2 billion in temporary housing, including more than 120,000 trailers and mobile homes.

But, the agency has placed just 109 Louisiana families in those homes, The New York Times said Friday.

Federal officials acknowledge that the installation of mobile homes has moved slowly, especially in Louisiana. But they are blaming the disruption caused by Hurricane Rita, as well as local officials in Louisiana.

Louisiana officials have been working tirelessly to find spots for the trailers, said Kim Hunter Reed, director of policy and planning for Gov. Kathleen Blanco.

The inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security said that FEMA was freezing many orders for trailers, although the agency disputes that.