WASHINGTON, DC. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the front door into the current resources available to those displaced by the disaster. All persons affected, historically or newly homeless and displaced, should register for what assistance may be available. To register: those affected should call FEMA at 1/800-621-FEMA or 1/800-621-3362; TTY - 1/800-462-7585. Registration is also available on-line at www.fema.gov. Every displaced person, no matter what their current location, should register.

At Red Cross and faith-based shelters across the country, phone lines and computers are being made available for the purpose of registering. Community resources have also been made available to our displaced neighbors, including on line resources in libraries and schools. Every displaced person affected by the disaster should register with FEMA.

WASHINGTON, DC. In response to numerous requests to the Council related to the response to the disaster for our neighbors in the South, we are publishing this edition of the e-news as a view of some current and firsthand activities. All of us are concerned for the well being of our historic and newly homeless neighbors and will work in the national partnership to end their homelessness.

Federal agencies this week continued to expand the resources and sources of assistance available to those affected by Hurricane Katrina. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness has posted many of these new resources to its web site. This edition of the e-news provides a summary of new and recent resources from a range of federal agencies. Stories provide web links and key toll-free numbers to call for assistance and information. This information is presented as part of the Council's continuing and multi-faceted effort to ensure that resettlement efforts for displaced and homeless people target all affected by the disaster - newly and historic homeless.

As the Council continues its work in creating the national partnership to end chronic homelessness in our country in the coordination of federal agencies, the development of State Interagency Councils, and the creation of city 10-Year Plans, USICH is using its partnerships in states and cities to build insight into the response needed to Katrina. The Council has actively consulted with other communities that have experienced a similar disaster situation resulting in displacement of large numbers of people from housing and homeless programs. Examples include Key West, Miami, Savannah, and the North Carolina Coast. Preliminary findings identify the needs of renters who are placed at risk by disasters, persons with mental illness at risk of decompensating without medication and treatment, and the challenge of restoring homeless programs destroyed by the disaster.

The Council is also seeking to be informed by historic, often faith based, resettlement agencies working primarily with those outside the United States, learning from the general principles and resources of their efforts in resettlement.

The Council also seeks to facilitate and stimulate identification of resources to address immediate and long term issues. As reported last week, the work of Interfaith Hospitality Network/Family Promise and HomeAid are examples, as are publicly supported programs such as Health Care for the Homeless, and the work of resettlement organizations.

The Council's Task Force - led by the Council's Regional Coordinators in the affected areas - is developing reports from the field in both affected and helping states and building connection to state, local and provider efforts. Coordinators Michael German in Region 4 and Sally Shipman in Region 6 are leading this effort.

WASHINGTON, DC. The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the creation of the Katrina Recovery Job Connection dedicated to connecting workers impacted by the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina with employers who want to hire them. DOL will also support the hiring associated with critical clean- up efforts in impacted areas. "Workers displaced by the hurricane are eager to get back to work and rebuild their lives," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "We have created this new Internet resource to connect workers to employers who have jobs to give, including temporary jobs cleaning up and rebuilding devastated communities."

The expanded Web site is designed to assist three specific audiences: individuals seeking new, full-time employment either in their home state or in a new state; individuals wishing to assist in the clean-up and rebuilding efforts through temporary employment; and employers who want to list jobs supporting hurricane recovery efforts or want to hire workers impacted by the hurricane. The Katrina Recovery Job Connection can be found at www.jobsearch.org/katrinajobs or through America's Job Bank at www.ajb.org.

WASHINGTON, DC. United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt, who has declared a public health emergency in the five states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, is now focusing public health and emergency response efforts on providing relief, care, and assistance to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Office of the Surgeon General and the Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness are in the process of mobilizing and identifying healthcare professionals and relief personnel to assist in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Professionals are being recruited in more than 35 areas of expertise.

HHS has also posted information for its grantees affected by Katrina, including details of the public health emergency. Further, HHS has posted information on Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children's Health Insurance waivers, and HIPAA information for use in emergencies such as Katrina.

WASHINGTON, DC. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which successfully evacuated thousands of patients and employees from three sites affected by Hurricane Katrina, continues to add to its on-line resources for those needing information and assistance, establishing a toll-free number - 800/ 507- 4571 - for veterans who normally receive health care at VA facilities in New Orleans, Gulfport, and Biloxi, Mississippi. The number can also be used by family members concerned about the location of veterans who were hospitalized at those facilities. The Gulfport facility has been closed, and the New Orleans medical center has been evacuated. The Biloxi facility is still operational.

Among the lessons VA has drawn from the tragedy are the importance of realistic emergency drills; the need to ensure that families of health care workers are safe during natural disasters; and the rewards of empowering employees to "do the right thing," free of bureaucratic oversight during emergencies. Stated Secretary Nicholson in a news release, "We will need additional funding for clean up, repairing facilities, providing temporary facilities and staffing. In the intermediate and longer term, there will be rebuilding - and rebuilding to withstand forces never before encountered."

The toll-free number will be staffed continuously for the duration of the emergency. By calling that number, people can find out about receiving health care for veterans evacuated from the storm area; receiving prescription drugs for veterans in the stricken area; locating evacuated VA patients; and any other health care questions for veterans in the area affected by the storm.

The VA continues to add to its on-line resources, with information currently posted on the status of facilities, questions and answers for employees, family members, and others, a newsletter and news releases from the VA, volunteer information and first- person accounts of the storm.

WASHINGTON, DC. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) continues its response to Hurricane Katrina. All HUD operations performed out of the New Orleans, LA Field Office have been moved to the Fort Worth, TX Regional Office. HUD has established a single toll-free number 1/888-297-8685 for the public to get information on housing needs.

HUD is identifying vacant multi-family housing, public housing units, and HUD-owned homes in a 500-mile radius of the affected areas that could be used as temporary housing. CDBG, HOME, and ESG grantees may reprogram previously awarded grants to redirect their focus to disaster recovery activities but grantees MUST request the reprogram from HUD. There are currently 500 Real Estate Owned (REO) properties in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama that could potentially be used as temporary housing pending damage assessment.

Public Housing Capital Fund Reserve for Emergencies and Natural Disasters is being granted to Public Housing Agencies on a first come, first serve basis - it must be obligated by the end of FY'05; $29 million is available. Vouchers are available for replacement units for displaced public housing families or displaced residents living in other HUD multifamily projects; $50 million is available. Indian Community Development Block Grant funding (up to $300,000 per grantee) is available for disaster relief for Indian housing and Tribal areas.

Other pending actions by the agency include: HUD will make available programs for damaged or destroyed properties. HUD's Section 203(k) loan program enables homebuyers and homeowners who have lost their homes to finance both the purchase and/or refinancing of a house and the cost of its rehabilitation through a single mortgage. It also allows homeowners who have damaged houses to finance the rehabilitation of their existing single- family home. This program encourages lenders to make mortgages available to borrowers who would not otherwise qualify for conventional loans on affordable terms and to residents of disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Last week Council Executive Director Philip Mangano and Council Region IV Coordinator Michael German, who leads the Council's Task Force given his years of FEMA experience, visited and spoke with evacuee families and individuals, historic homeless providers, Red Cross shelter coordinators, the FEMA Federal Coordinating Officers in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and jurisdictional authorities.

While in Birmingham, Director Mangano and Mr. German met with Mayor Bernard Kincaid (pictured here at left) and City Council President Wendell Soder at the Boutwell Auditorium to learn from Red Cross volunteers and disaster workers the scope of the evacuee presence and needs in that city. Concerns for both historic and newly homeless people were addressed in this meeting and all of the meetings across the states and cities.

In Montgomery Director Mangano and Mr. German met with the Chair of Alabama's recently created Interagency Council on Homelessness, Terri Hasdorff. In her role as Chair and as the Governor's lead person on faith-based and community initiatives, Ms. Hasdorff coordinates the state response to the disaster. Once again the concern for both historic and newly displaced homeless people was part of the strategic discussion. Following that meeting, they met with Red Cross officials at the Montgomery shelter. Director Mangano and Mr. German then met with the FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO), Ron Sherman, a veteran of two decades of response to disasters including 9/11, at the FEMA Disaster Field Office. Again the discussion served to highlight the impact of the disaster on historically homeless people along the Alabama coast.

En route to Jackson, Mississippi, Director Mangano and Mr. German met with representatives of Memphis who indicated that 12,000 evacuees had arrived there, with about 4,000 domiciled in Red Cross shelters. In Jackson, Mississippi, Director Mangano and Mr. German visited the Mississippi FEMA Disaster Field Office and met with FCO Bill Carwile, accompanied by Emily Eberhardt, Director of Community and Planning Development, and Don Connolly, CPD representative from the HUD Jackson Field Office. FCO Carwile noted that housing is the primary issue for both short term and long term. While in Jackson they visited the site of the Red Cross shelter in the Mississippi Coliseum and again heard directly from displaced persons concerning their stories and their needs. A meeting with homeless providers in Jackson was arranged as well as a site visit to Matt's Place, a family shelter that has sheltered several evacuee families.

In Baton Rouge on Sunday Director Mangano and Mr. German met with Mayor Kip Holden and toured the Red Cross shelter at the River Center. More than 2000 people were still at this site. Reunification and housing were primary topics with the evacuees. Once again a meeting with the FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer, Bill Lokey, with 30 years of field experience in disasters, was scheduled. Mr. Lokey's past experience in disaster efforts led to helpful insights with regard to displaced homeless people.

Finally, in all cities, the "armies of compassion" from faith-based groups, as well as the Red Cross, were evident and on the frontlines. Churches and other religious bodies responding by creating smaller shelters and offering resources. Congregants invited evacuee families to share their homes. Clothing, food, and other essentials poured into the Red Cross sites everywhere, as did offers of housing and employment. Our nation's heart of generosity was exposed and a partnership of government and the private sector demonstrated political and civic will.

The Red Cross shelter in Birmingham was located across the street from an overpass under which homeless people in that city lived. One day after the evacuee families arrived, several moms and their families were outside, the children playing games. Two homeless people came over and began talking to the moms about the storm and their situation, and struck up a conversation with the children. The interaction lasted several minutes and then one of the homeless men reached into his pocket. At that moment, miles away in Washington, the $50 billion supplemental bill to aid those displaced by the storm was being signed into law by the President. In Birmingham the homeless man rummaged the contents of his pocket, discovered what he wanted, and passed to the children all that he had, a one dollar bill.