| Aubrey's Outlook |
| No food? No clothing? Too Bad. |
| by Aubrey Zich |
| People whose lives were devastated by the recent hurricanes are finding they are in for another blow: after spending the checks from FEMA on immediate necessities, they are denied further assistance. FEMA says the checks have one purpose and one purpose only, housing. |
Just like many other victims of the recent hurricanes, Russell Hayward spent his check from FEMA on necessities rather than housing. At the time, meeting basic needs like food and proper clothing were more immediate issues than finding a permanent residence. Now FEMA is denying him housing assistance. SeattlePi reported Haywood saying: "Me and my wife were trying to rebuild our lives, so we went out and got clothes, bed linens, bath stuff," he said. "I didn't go out and spend money on anything except everything anyone else has in their own home." Haywood claims that when the check was given to him, no one informed him it was to be spent specifically for housing. Upon complaining, Haywood was told by the agency that if he had records of his receipts the agency would review his case and get back to him. I don’t know about you, but every time I buy food or other items I desperately need for my survival, I always save the receipts.
Haywood is not the only one FEMA forgot to tell about the housing catch. Other Katrina victims are finding themselves in the same situation and have filed in kind. The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, wants FEMA ordered to immediately provide trailers or other housing alternatives, especially to those still in shelters, and asks that victims with larger families receive more money. Because contrary what Barbara Bush seems to think, no one wants to live in the Houston Astrodome.
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