So now the rent assistance will be extended to three-and-a-half years.

Thousands of families displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita will receive housing assistance for 18 additional months but must begin contributing to their rent next year, federal officials said Thursday.

Evacuees, their advocates and local officials welcomed the news as a realistic acknowledgment that many families still need help but must prepare to assume more responsibility for their own lives.

"I want the city of Houston to know that the majority of the people of New Orleans are trying as hard as they can," said evacuee Samuel Pollen, 63, who is taking classes for certification to work as a teacher. "They gave up on us too soon because of the bad ones."

Housing assistance for more than 120,000 displaced families, which was scheduled to end Aug. 31, will continue through March 1, 2009. Starting March 1, 2008, recipients will be required to make monthly payments starting at $50 and increasing to $600 by the time the assistance ends.

Oh, the horror! After 2-and-a-half years these folks will actually be expected to do something to provide for themselves!

Personally, I like this response from a fellow Houstonian.

Instead of endless Federal Emergency Management Agency's handouts, perhaps it's time for Katrina evacuees to take those jobs "Americans just won't do." This seems to be working well for illegal immigrants in this country.

Indeed -- but then again, the illegals haven't been raised with the expectation that the government will support them through some form of public dole, which many of them were on BEFORE the hurricane.

Posted by: Greg at 10:23 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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