Floridians Can Find and List Disaster Housing Online After Wilma

Floridians in need of housing in the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma can access a special, free Web site to locate available rental property in their areas.

Individuals can search Disaster Housing Resources, www.DHRonline.org, to find properties by price, location and housing options such as number of bedrooms and bathrooms. They can also find information about temporary housing programs and assistance programs offered by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State Emergency Response Team (SERT).

Property owners or their representatives can register free of charge to list available rental units on the site.

“Identifying and providing housing for disaster victims is one of our top priorities,” said Justin DeMello, federal coordinating officer. “Finding shelter quickly provides stability for individuals and families during a time of great uncertainty. The DHRonline Web site is a great place to find housing fast.”

FEMA and SERT launched the Web site in response to the tremendous need for immediate housing during the 2004 hurricane season. Last year, DHRonline reportedly had approximately 12,500 listings at its peak usage.

“The site continues to serve as a valuable, free resource to people whose homes or apartments have suffered damage due to a disaster and who are looking for short- or long-term rental property during the repair or rebuilding process,” said State Coordinating Officer Craig Fugate.

Since the middle of October, DHRonline has reportedly been averaging in excess of 3,000 visitors per day. DHRonline currently has 18,596 properties listed – which reflects 274,915 individual housing units available.

DHRonline is a partnership between FEMA and state agencies, associations, and housing organizations including the Florida Housing Finance Corporation and the Florida Association of Realtors. The site was developed by the Center for Disaster Risk Policy at Florida State University.

Disaster victims still in need of housing also can register for assistance with FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for those with speech or hearing impairments. It is also possible to register online at www.fema.gov.