Evacuees face Monday deadline for FEMA-paid hotel stay

It's been 5 months, how much more time do you need?

Evacuees Face Hotel Bills

Thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees who have been staying in hotels at the
government's expense will have to pay their own way starting Tuesday.

Hotel managers have posted notices and slipped leaflets under hotel room doors informing evacuees of the deadline, unless they've been able to arrange extensions from federal officials.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will allow those who received extensions to stay through Feb. 13 or March 1, depending on their circumstances.

FEMA has authorized extensions for evacuees staying in more than 20,000 hotel rooms. But about 5,000 evacuees haven't contacted the agency or were unable to get an extension.

FEMA said it has spent $529 million putting evacuees up in hotels.