From Houston to Baytown, there are hundreds of families still living in shelters. Many families are in shelters because they had no power. Many of them have returned home, but others who can't return home are in shelters indefinitely.
FEMA and HUD are working on a temporary housing plan for people displaced by Ike. They want to put people in apartments rather than some of the trailers we saw following Hurricane Katrina.
It's a rental assistance program and will provide temporary rental payments for apartments. But the families will have to wait until November 1, which is when the program begins. By May of 2009, they'll be responsible for part of the payments, depending on their eligibility, with their contributions increasing until the program ends in April 2010.
FEMA and HUD hope to identify eligible families by the middle of October. They say it'll be a case by case basis, depending on individual situations.
If you're in need, the first thing you must do is register with FEMA, either by phone at 800-621-FEMA or online at fema.gov.
