Nine Democratic Members of the U.S. House wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff expressing exasperation with FEMA,s failure to comply with a Congressional directive that FEMA issue guidance on eligibility for continued rental housing assistance for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Congress had called for FEMA to issue the information by the middle of January, and, in their letter, the lawmakers urged the Secretary to put out the guidelines as soon as possible.

The letter was signed by Financial Services Committee Ranking Democrat Barney Frank (D-MA) and five other members of the committee; along with three Representatives of areas damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

The text of the letter follows.

February 3, 2006

Honorable Michael Chertoff
Secretary
Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528

Dear Secretary Chertoff:

We are writing to express our exasperation with the failure of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to comply with a Congressional directive to issue timely guidance with respect to continued eligibility for housing assistance under the Section 408 program.

As you know, in late December, Congressional conferees included report language in the Katrina supplemental appropriations bill which states:

"The conferees are concerned with the lack of guidance on housing assistance. Within two weeks from the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of FEMA shall issue guidance used to determine continued eligibility for housing assistance under the Section 408 program. Consistent with current FEMA regulations, such guidance shall include the extension of assistance if the recipient is unable to afford local housing at the Fair Market Rent level."

This two week period ended January13th. It is now three weeks past this deadline and FEMA has not complied with this Congressional directive. Moreover, it is now more than five months since Katrina hit landfall. FEMA,s continued failure to issue guidance clarifying criteria for ongoing eligibility for FEMA rental housing assistance under the Section 408 program is unconscionable.

This failure makes it difficult for families to plan their lives, including making a decision whether and when to return to their local community. This failure also makes it more difficult for families and individuals to get landlords to sign leases with them. Finally, FEMA,s continued failure to issue such guidance creates a totally unnecessary level of uncertainty for the hundreds of thousands of persons who have already suffered through the tragedy of Katrina, and do not know from month to month how long their rental assistance will continue.

FEMA,s uneven record with regard to the hotel/motel reimbursement program, including FEMA,s effort to shut down the program on just two weeks notice in November, only exacerbates families, concerns about FEMA,s reliability in extending assistance under the 408 program.

These types of concerns prompted Congress in late December to require FEMA to issue clarifying guidelines on rental housing assistance, which provide for continued assistance for families that cannot afford to pay their rent. We urge you to issue these guidelines as soon as possible.