WASHINGTON — Nearly 20,000 Hurricane Katrina evacuees living in Houston would have their federal housing subsidies extended through the end of the year under an amendment passed by the House on Tuesday.
The provision, introduced by U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, was part of a bill aimed at continuing the efforts to restore housing wiped out by a series of storms in the late summer of 2005, including Hurricane Rita that ravaged Southeast Texas. The bill was expected to be approved by the House today.
"The vast majority of all families receiving FEMA rental assistance are those who could least afford to endure the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina," Green said. "These survivors have lived day to day, week to week, and month to month hoping and praying that FEMA would extend its deadlines."
After the end of 2007, Katrina evacuees eligible for Housing and Urban Development grants would automatically be transitioned to those so-called Section 8 vouchers.
"HUD, not FEMA, is best suited to meet the mid- and long-term needs of Katrina victims," Green said.
Republicans said the Green amendment was unnecessary, citing President Bush's willingness to extend the FEMA housing vouchers repeatedly. Some GOP House members also feared that extending the deadline encouraged dependency.
"Sometimes the toughest love is to actually force them to move on and take the next step," said Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock. "It is time to make some permanent decisions."
The cost of the deadline extensions and moving people from FEMA assistance to HUD vouchers would be about $400 million, Green said. Since late 2005, Congress has authorized a total of $110 billion in hurricane relief.
The amendment passed late Tuesday by a vote of 246-184, with all Democrats who voted, and 14 Republicans, in favor.
Green had also sought to get reimbursement for landlords who took in Katrina evacuees. But that provision was not adopted by the bill sponsors.
The Katrina relief bill scheduled for a final House vote is aimed at extending various forms of housing assistance for Gulf Coast hurricane victims.
Among its provisions is prevention of the demolition of damaged public housing.
Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank,
D-Mass., and other Democrats said Tuesday that many public housing units remain habitable and should be reopened to former residents.
But Republicans argued that preventing the demolition of some public housing would simply perpetuate some conditions for crime that existed before Katrina.
michael.hedges@chron.com
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