Deadline looms for free furniture program

(2/10/06 - KTRK/HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- Hurricane Katrina survivors have another opportunity to get back on their feet. This time, there's a program to get free furniture.

The Hurricane Housing Task Force says this is the last call for evacuees to take part and get new furniture for their apartments and homes. Friday, February 17 is the last day officials will accept calls from evacuees living in the city voucher units.

So far, they have made 15,000 furniture deliveries. The city says they have had a great response from families who are very emotional about how this program has helped them get back on their feet.

Furniture program director Lindsay Davis said, "It's double beds. It's twin-sized beds. It's dinette sets, couches, coffee tables, dressers. It's a good starting package to get their lives back together."

"This particular program, we call it last-minute because we started it in November and we delivered hundreds of packages of furniture a day to people because people were sleeping on air mattresses," said Cindy Gabriel with the Joint Hurricane Housing Task Force.

If you are an evacuee and would still like to participate in this program, call the evacuee furniture hotline at 713-715-4100. You must have your FEMA number and your voucher number ready.

To date, the city has spent $20 million on this furniture, but officials are hoping they will be reimbursed by FEMA.
(Copyright © 2006, KTRK-TV)

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