Chapter Appendix B - What Went Right
Section Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Department of Housing and Urban Development
Working with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Counties, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) coordinated the identification of housing opportunities for hurricane victims. As a result, numerous cities, counties, and Indian Tribes offered housing and transportation to displaced persons. For example, the cities of Detroit and Philadelphia offered housing for over 1,000 displaced individuals. Allegheny County, Pennsylvania also offered to house 1,000 persons. HUD then worked with FEMA to match displaced individuals with vacant housing. HUD also sent personnel to Disaster Recovery Centers in states that were directly affected by the hurricane and flood, as well as in Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas to meet with people displaced from their homes, and personally help them find temporary and permanent housing in host cities.42 HUD used key interpersonal skills and relationships it had developed over the years, successfully matching the newly homeless with homes.