About 560,000 Families Register for Housing Help

HOUSTON (AP) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it has about 560,000 families registered for its housing assistance program.

That comes from John Long, deputy federal coordinating officer of the agency.

FEMA spokeswoman Tiana Suber says if those people's homes are found to be uninhabitable or inaccessible for an extended time, they may qualify for the agency's Transitional Shelter Assistance. Some will qualify for short-term hotel lodging at FEMA expense, while others will be referred to local agencies or voluntary organizations for possible assistance.

Long said the main focus is to move people from the large shelters, where stress levels can run high. He says FEMA is tracking the families being moved from the large shelters as best as it can, but people will move in and out of those shelters.

He says FEMA's mission is changing from life-saving to life sustaining.

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