FEMA recently announced that they were extending for Hurricane Katrina victims to file for disaster assistance.

FEMA Extends Assistance to Underinsured Katrina Victims       

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has extended to March 11 the deadline for victims of Hurricane Katrina to  file for disaster assistance, which is available to renters, homeowners and business owners whose insurance claim settlements didn't cover their disaster losses.                                                          
                                                                           
According to FEMA, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security, disaster assistance may come in a number of forms, including grants for temporary housing or repairs deemed necessary to make a home "safe and habitable," or as low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration covering such items as debris removal, tree trimming and replacement, landscaping losses, and repair or replacement of fences,     
sheds and outbuildings.                                           

"Disaster assistance is designed to cover both uninsured and under-insured
disaster losses," Federal Coordinating Officer Michael Bolch said in a statement. "By law, FEMA cannot duplicate services or funds compensated by an insurance claim or provided by another assistance program but we can help with unmet needs."                                                   
                                                                           
To expedite the process, FEMA encouraged policyholders to register with the agency at the same time they file their insurance claims. Once a claim is settled, the policyholder then would be able to complete an application for disaster assistance.                                                  
                                                                           
Separately, FEMA also said recently that evacuees currently housed in hotels and motels must contact the agency by Jan. 30 to receive an authorization code that would enable them to extend the federal subsidy for their hotel stay beyond Feb. 6. Agency ayments for hotel and motel rooms will cease Feb. 7 for evacuees who don't obtain an authorization code, and the code also is necessary for all evacuees who change hotels or are checking in for the first time between now and Feb. 7.                
                                                                           
Thus far, the agency has provided rental assistance to more than 700,000 families affected by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, and it estimates roughly 26,000 remain in hotels or motels. More than $400 million has been spent to provide hotel and motel rooms through the first four months after Katrina.                                                                  
                                                                           
Working with the state of Louisiana, FEMA also has provided more than 18,000 travel trailers to displaced homeowners in that state. Individuals who have been provided trailers have 18 months from the date of disaster declaration to find more permanent housing.                                

"Great progress has been made across the country in helping families make the move out of hotels and motels into more comfortable, longer-term housing ­ a critical step in the road to recovery," Acting FEMA Director David Paulison said in a statement. "We want to be sure that we are flexible, but aggressive in helping individuals and families with all of  
the FEMA assistance they are eligible to receive and make this important transition to a better quality of life. This authorization code process will help us work toward ensuring that no one eligible for assistance slips through the cracks."