Georgia's on my mind. I'm in Atlanta attending a briefing on hurricane relief and recovery efforts. With a Dec. 1 deadline looming (and here) for FEMA to cut off payment for hotel rooms (here and here), 150,000 victims of Hurricane Katrina face eviction.
In Atlanta, FEMA is subsidizing between 6,000 and 7,000 hotel rooms that are home to thousands of evacuees who are now at risk of being homeless for the holidays. Mayor Shirley Franklin has asked for an extension until at least the end of December. Unless there’s a change in FEMA's policy, there will be a second wave of displaced black folks.
Regrettably, Americans have a short attention span so I hope tonight’s Frontline will refresh their memories about the plight of those who were left behind less than three months ago.
