Sheila Crowley, president and CEO of the National Low-IncomeHousing Coalition in Washington, DC, says the situation is so badthat people are unable to move out of FEMA trailers and into rentalunits. "People have had to be moved into hotels from trailersbecause the trailers aren't fit for habitation," she also pointsout.

Nor is the problem confined to lower income renters. Accordingto Washington, DC-based Policy Link's report, "A Long Way Home: TheState of Housing Recovery in Louisiana," the news is dismal forrenters of all classes. Many units are off line, with much of thestock either damaged or wiped out. As of last January, only 11% ofthe 24,600 rental units slated to receive federal assistance wereavailable for occupancy. Furthermore, the number is far less thanthe actual number of units that were damaged or destroyed byKatrina.

Policy Link's website calculates that 60,351 low-cost andaffordable housing units were destroyed. The city's inventory, atthe time, was 86,520 units. High-end rentals fared a little better:7,383 of 14,205 units were decommissioned by Katrina.