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The U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced an extension to the Disaster Housing Assistance Program-Ike (DHAP-Ike), giving approximately 11,000 families who were displaced by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav more time to transition to longer term housing solutions.

HUD and FEMA are extending this program to allow housing authorities across the United States to continue assisting these families through this temporary rental assistance program established soon after the 2008 storms. DHAP-Ike has been extended until May 27, 2010.

DHAP-Ike began assisting families in November 2008 when HUD and FEMA established the program to assist homeowners as well as renters who were displaced by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav with up to 17 months of temporary housing assistance and case management.

DHAP-Ike provided full rental payments to participating families for the first six months. On May 1, 2009, families began paying $50 towards the rent. Each month thereafter, the tenant's portion of the rent increased by $50 until the tenant began paying the full rent or ended their participation in the program. The incremental rent payments will continue during the extension period.

After May 2009, families whose housing expenses, taking into account existing mortgages for personal residences that remain uninhabitable, did not exceed 30 percent of post-disaster gross income were no longer eligible for DHAP-Ike. Families whose housing expenses - rent burden and mortgage included - exceed 30 percent of their post-disaster income, who also meet other program obligations, are able to continue receiving assistance. Eligible families can live in a community outside of the disaster area and DHAP-Ike will subsidize their rent anywhere in the U.S.

DHAP-Ike was the first step of a long process to bring residents back to Galveston. So far, GHA has spent more than $17.5 million in helping Ike victims with temporary assistance since the storm. GHA has created much needed jobs on the island by hiring 104 people to help with the disaster assistance effort. GHA will continue to be an active participant and significant contributor to the revitalization of the City of Galveston.