Welcome to FEMAville

[buzzsaw_23]

The parks, referred to as Femavilles, are seen by many as a dumping ground. Often isolated, with few services or amenities, they have been plagued by crime, poverty and unemployment.

This is bad. There are few surer ways to make people sick, hopeless, and stripped of agency than to pack them into collective camp-like conditions for an indefinite time period. Katrina's displaced persons are not technically "refugees" (as the law defines the term), and there's a levee-sized space between any international refugee and a New Orleans native waiting for his home to emerge from five feet of toxic water. But current international practices are a how-to guide for turning temporary refugee situations into protracted hellholes. "Warehousing" is the risk aid workers run when they throw up ad hoc housing with no clear plan to dismantle it. Merrill Smith, editor of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants' (USCRI) World Refugee Survey, defines it as "the practice of keeping refugees in protracted situations of restricted mobility, enforced idleness, and dependency—their lives on indefinite hold."

http://www.reason.com/links/links091305.shtml

[jwirr]

1. Does anyone have any photos of the trailers - inside and out?

I am interested in what they look like as I have been considering getting something like that to put on my daughter's yard. However, I think you are correct. They are putting them in a hopeless situation and expect them to be happy about all the help. I have a question - was shreveport in the hurricane/flood area?

[Catherine Vincent]

5. Here's some....

[Island Blue]

6. My best friend's MIL had to live in a FEMA trailer for a year

after Hurricane Floyd hit eastern NC and flooded her house. (Of course that was in '99 and someone with a brain was president.) Anyway, at that time, her trailer was just like one of those that folks who camp pull behind their vehicles. It had a "bedroom", a small kitchen, bathroom, living area, etc. She was able to live in it in her back yard once the waters receded.

On edit: Her trailer looked like the one in the bottom photo, except it was a bit smaller because she lives by herself.

[MojoXN]

2. FEMA's been building "relocation camps" for years.

And yet they aren't using them. My money says that they're collecting dust because they resemble concentration camps a little too much for comfort.

After seeing the chaotic mismanagement of New Orleans, I'm not surprised that the FEMA-villes (love the name, Hooverville version 2.0) are totally lacking in structure. The fucking Keystone cops could have done a better job of preparing for all of this. Hell, Castro has a wonderful track record of doing FAR better than this when it comes to hurricane response. Oy, I need a drink. It IS Friday after all...

MojoXN

[Robertwf]

3. No difference between FEMAvilles and Housing Projects

except the govt. was honest about the projects--they were meant to stay. Somewhere I saw an arial view of the trailers--identical, bland boxes. The only good thing to say about them is that they do provide some shelter and privacy. The bad thing is that they will probably be there for way too long.

[MrMickeysMom]

4. High level FEMA employees spoke out tonight on NOW

It was the episode I was wait for. There are people at the top who have disclosed information about the Bushie's step by step destruction of this organization.

The piece should be seen and the mainstream should pick up on this story and fucking run with it!

[Chancellor Burr]

7. Spending of FEMA money

I am wondering if any thought was given to how the $2000 cards were going to be misused.
For example people buying wedding bands with the money. I am quite disturbed by this situation. Should I give the customer what they want or should I try to reason with the customer.

[newyawker99]

8. Hi Chancellor Burr!!

Welcome to DU!!

[KitchenWitch]

9. I would guess that over 90% of the cards are being used as intended

That is, to replace necessities lost in the storms. I do not think that "fraudulent" use is nearly as widespread is the MSM would have us believe.

[knitter4democracy]

10. Gov. Granholm found free housing for a year up here in MI

Any of the evacuees who want to stay in Michigan will have free housing up to a year, and there was so much interest in the program on the part of landlords and home owners that they've got a waiting list of free homes. Right now, they're trying to figure out how to use those best.

If we had anything like that up here, I'd be shocked.