Katrina Friday midday miscellany

Further hints and bits about housing aspects of the federal disaster response:

- A little more on the work of Charles "Hank" Williams of HUD, currently on loan to FEMA's Joint Housing Solutions Center. There's a photo caption on a HUD media page saying this:

HUD's Charles Hank Williams, co-chair of the Joint Housing Solutions Center in Baton Rogue [sic], works with a FEMA staff member to resolve a housing concern. The Center is utilizing every conceivable housing alternative to house displaced families. They've looked at a wide range of alternatives ranging from manufactured housing to converting an old Walmart facility into housing.

So that helps to fill in the picture of what the JHSC is doing. Also interesting: last we heard, Mr. Williams was sole "chair" of the JHSC. Now he's "co-chair." Wonder if it means more agencies are getting involved in the effort? And here's some more possibly helpful material among the photo captions: a reference to a HUD staff member working with

...the Real Estate Assessment Center's Strike Teams in Baton Rogue [sic]. The teams travel throughout the affected area conducting comprehensive evaluations of proposed housing options.

- The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency Katrina page has kindly linked to us (thanks!). On the same page the agency is offering instructions for housing disaster victims in tax-credit housing under IRS Notice 2005-69 and also this interesting advisory from the Philly HUD office:

HUD is currently working with FEMA to develop a resource database of vacant multifamily units that can be used to house diaster victims of Hurricane Katrina.
All owners and management agents will be contacted by their Project Managers to determine the status of occupancy in their projects. You are asked to provide your full coperation in the prompt submission of this information.
At this time, the applicable guidance for the housing of diaster victims is contained in Notice H 04-22, issued November 10, 2004. Additional guidance is presently being developed which will address several issues, including Section 202 and 811 housing.

- Nothing much seemingly new in the Treasury/IRS officials' statements while visiting hurricane recovery efforts in Atlanta today, but here are Sec'y Snow's remarks: at the IRS call center assisting FEMA... at Home Depot.