The Federal Emergency Management Agency, wants Hurricane Katrina victims to return trailers they no longer need, so they can be cleaned and refurbished for displaced people still waiting for trailers.
DEBBIE ELLIOTT, host: Officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency say they are now ready to take back trailers from last year's hurricane victims who have repaired their homes, or found somewhere else to live. FEMA will clean and refurbish the trailers and give them to families who are still waiting for housing. FEMA says it's trying to get trailers back into its inventory as quickly as possible. The 2006 hurricane season begins in June.</s>DEBBIE ELLIOTT, host: Late last year, NPR found that in many cases, FEMA trailers were available, but the City of New Orleans had failed to prepare sites for them. And in many cases, local citizens didn't want trailer parks nearby.</s>DEBBIE ELLIOTT, host: There's also news for the approximately 4,000 families in Florida who are still living in rent-free in FEMA trailers after the busy 2004 hurricane season. FEMA says they'll have to start paying rent in May and find permanent housing by September.