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WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2005- Agriculture
Secretary Mike Johanns today issued two directives to further
meet the food and housing needs of Hurricane Katrina survivors.
Johanns authorized states to pre-load electronic food benefit
cards with $50 worth of assistance, which will enable displaced
residents to immediately purchase food even before their application
has been processed to receive complete benefits. These cards can
then be distributed to displaced residents as they move from shelters
to temporary housing. The food stamp program is administered by
states and fully funded by USDA. States are being notified of
the authorization and urged to take advantage of it.
USDA has earmarked $50 million dollars to provide emergency food
assistance to Hurricane Katrina survivors. USDA is increasing
the level of assistance available to current food stamp recipients
who were affected by the hurricane, as well as providing assistance
to hurricane survivors who have not previously participated in
the food stamp program. Additionally, USDA will ensure that schools
are able to provide free lunches to students who have been relocated
because of the hurricane.
Johanns also directed USDA Rural
Development staff to coordinate with the private sector to identify
privately owned rental housing nationwide that is available to
house displaced residents. The USDA Rural Development program
currently has 30,000 available housing units across the country.
USDA is coordinating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) and faith-based organizations to match residents left homeless
by Hurricane Katrina with these homes and apartments. Eligibility
requirements associated with the rural housing program are being
waived to expedite the relocation process.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has dedicated the following
resources to Hurricane Katrina relief:
Personnel Deployed - USDA has deployed 2,760 Forest Service employees
who are trained in rescue and response to large-scale incidents
to assist the Federal Emergency Management Agency. These teams
have expertise in setting up logistics staging areas, distribution
of food products and debris removal. In addition, the Forest Service
has devoted aircraft to facilitate the airlift of 325 New York
City Fire Department personnel to support the City of New Orleans.
Food Assistance - USDA has delivered or has on the way more than
300 trucks containing over 12 million pounds of food (canned vegetables,
fruits, cheese and meats) and baby food and formula products,
with truckloads of additional supplies being prepared for delivery
to affected communities.
Housing Assistance - To ensure that displaced residents are able
to move into safe housing as quickly as possible, USDA has established
an expedited placement process that waives maximum income limits,
security deposits, credit checks, streamlines month-to-month leasing
procedures and institutes telephone background checks. USDA property
managers will also be assisting these families by providing them
with information on how to access additional government programs
and services to assist them, like food stamp benefits.
Additionally, USDA Rural Development has announced a general debt
service moratorium for a minimum of 90 days for all housing program
borrowers in counties that are included in the Presidential Disaster
Declaration issued in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in the
states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. This action will
help up to 50,000 low-income residents, as they work to rebuild
their lives in the aftermath of the hurricane.
Community Assistance - USDA will provide a 90-day moratorium on
debt collection on electric, water and community facilities programs
in the affected states. These facilities range from rural schools,
libraries, childcare, hospitals, medical clinics, assisted living
facilities, fire and rescue stations, police stations, community
centers and public buildings. USDA has established a team to conduct
assessments of these facilities with priority given to the hospitals
and nursing home properties and is also assembling teams to go
to the region to facilitate grant
and loan applications for rebuilding.
Additional information and updates about USDA's hurricane relief
efforts are posted daily on the Web site at http://www.usda.gov/.
For more information about making contributions for disaster assistance
go to www.FirstGov.gov and http://www.disasterhelp.gov/.
USDA News
oc.news@usda.gov
202 720-4623
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