Elderly, disabled & Mentally Ill Evacuees at most risk for homelessness

(Baton Rouge, La. February 9, 2009)—Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge (CCDBR) is bracing itself for the impact caused by the expiration of HUD's Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) in three weeks. Currently CCDBR contracts with the housing authority in four parishes including East Baton Rouge to provide case management services to about 1,100 households left homeless by Hurricane Katrina.

For many families currently receiving the rental subsidy, the program served its intended purpose. DHAP carried them over the hump as they rebuilt their lives, finding jobs and replacing furniture and cars lost in Katrina's floodwaters.However, not all DHAP recipients are at that same level of recovery for a variety of reasons like age, poor coping skills, mental illness or physical disability. Whatever the cause, the loss of the housing subsidy is bound to burden area nonprofits.

"We're particularly concerned about how the elderly and people with disabilities or mental illness are going to fare when DHAP ceases," said Brenda Roberson, Catholic Charities DHAP coordinator. 

Roberson says estimates that about 30% of the agency's Katrina DHAP households falls under that category. Others of concern are the very poor and families with small children.

Roberson agrees that HUD was clear about the February 28 end date. However, the housing authorities haven't completed the recertification for the much sought after Housing Preference Vouchers that would offer permanent rental assistance.

"We know the Housing Authority will eventually come through with the housing vouchers, but in the mean time, many are at risk of being right back where they were in the days following Hurricane Katrina," said David Aguillard, CCDBR Executive Director. "For the elderly, that might be too much for them to bear."

"Our hope is that either the Housing Authority issues the housing vouchers before the program ends or the deadline is extended at least long enough for them finish assessing all the cases," said Aguillard

Without that relief, the cycle of insecure housing starts all over again. "If they can't pay their rent, they not only lose this housing, but also the furniture and belongings they have cobbled together." said Roberson. "I'm not sure that some will be able to come back for the third or fourth time. Our case workers have worked hard over the last year to get them where they are today."