La. parish bans FEMA trailers

SLIDELL, La., June 5 (UPI) -- St. Tammany Parish, across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, set an Aug. 29 deadline Thursday for the removal of FEMA trailers.

Local officials said they picked the date because it is third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Kevin Davis, the parish president, said any residents who do not believe their homes will be livable by that date, should contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency, WWLTV reported.

"They have said that we will place you in an apartment," Davis said. "We will put you in a hotel. We'll pay for your storage. We'll pay for your stipend of food if we have to put you in a hotel."

About 1,200 trailers are believed to be in use in the parish, occupied by homeowners still working on repairs to their houses. The parish plans to impose $500-a-day fines beginning Aug. 30.

"There's got to be a deadline on them," said John Dwyer of Slidell, who is living in a trailer. "Like you said, you can't live in them forever, but I didn't know anything about Aug. 29. But now we're going to push for that date. I think we should be able to be in it by Aug. 29."

The deadline does not apply to trailer parks.