BY CRAIG GIAMMONA
While some evacuees had already applied for and received a FEMA extension until March 1, others were preparing for the possibility of being forced out of the hotels they have called home since fleeing New Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities after Katrina slammed ashore.Advocates scrambled Monday to get extensions for as many evacuees as possible after FEMA announced that any storm victims with a “long-term housing” plan or special needs, such as a medical condition, could continue to have their hotel bills paid until March 1.A handful of evacuees had still not received an extension from FEMA as of Tuesday afternoon, but advocates working on their behalf reported that officials at the four hotels in Queens where victims are housed — the Radisson at JFK, Holiday Inn at JFK, Westway Motor Inn in East Elmhurst and the Ramada at La Guardia airport — would not immediately evict anyone.This announcement came after a federal judge ruled Monday that FEMA was no longer responsible for paying the hotel bills of evacuees staying at hotels across the nation, forcing thousands of hurricane victims to fend for themselves.In Queens, however, the work of advocates appears to have given many evacuees a reprieve until at least March 1.Rev. James Pullings of Jamaica said “most” of the 129 families staying at hotels in New York, including about 85 in Queens, had received the March 1 extension.Three families at the Ramada had not received the extension as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Pullings, who did not know how long they would be allowed to stay at the hotel.”A couple of days, it seems like at this point,” Pullings said.At the Radisson, General Manager Tony Pinto reported that eight of the 17 families that remain at the hotel have not received the March 1 extension. He said those evacuees would likely be served with an eviction notice, a step that would protect the hotel legally in the future.Pinto pointed out, however, that eviction proceedings take at least 30 days, if not more, to process, meaning those evacuees could stay through March 1, if not longer.”We're not putting anyone out,” Pinto said.Pinto said the Radisson, which has been receiving $129 a night from FEMA for the rooms occupied by evacuees, did not regret housing the hurricane victims but was eager to return to full capacity. The hotel, he noted, had lost revenue this past weekend, when travelers stranded at JFK because of the record snow fall would have paid full price for rooms and probably patronized the hotel's restaurant.”We're looking forward to wrapping it up,” Pinto said.Despite the extensions granted by the Queens hotels, advocates said they would continue to stay in close contact with the evacuees over the coming days and weeks to help them find long-term housing. Reach reporter Craig Giammona by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300 ext. 146.
