Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold On the Administration Reconsidering its Emergency Housing Policies August 30, 2006 U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) made the following statement today following reports that the White House is reconsidering its emergency housing policies. Feingold recently announced that he will soon introduce the Gulf Coast Housing Accessibility Act to address some of the housing issues faced by survivors of the hurricanes. A fact sheet about Senator Feingold’s legislation is also available. “I’m pleased to hear that the administration may be reevaluating its emergency housing policies, which have left thousands of hurricane survivors without long-term housing a year after Katrina. The Administration is reportedly considering the transfer of some disaster housing responsibilities from FEMA to HUD, which is a key provision of the legislation I recently proposed to address housing issues along the Gulf Coast. With many evacuees in jeopardy of losing their FEMA federal housing assistance as early as this week, it is critical that we act quickly to help find housing solutions for hurricane survivors. I urge the President to support this legislation so that we can provide low-income survivors of the hurricane with better options to meet their real long-term housing needs.”

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