FEMA Extends Hotel Deadline in 10 States After Sharp Criticism

Trying to shed its Scrooge image, FEMA announced on Tuesday that it would extend an originally announced December deadline until Jan. 7 for Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims to leave hotels in 10 states they are presently residing in.

Evacuees in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, California, Tennessee, Arkansas and Nevada can now stay thru Christmas and New Year’s, before FEMA stops paying their hotel bills. For victims in other states, the deadline to leave is Dec. 15.

Just last week, FEMA put in place a Dec. 1 deadline to stop hotel payments in all states but Louisiana and Mississippi.

Looking to make it a point that it is not throwing people out into the streets, FEMA said it would move people from hotels and motels into apartments that it would continue to pay for.