FEMA Trailer FAQ
Why do I need a FEMA number to quality for a Tulane trailer?
To be entitled to a trailer, Tulane is required to provide your FEMA registration number as proof that you are a displaced individual who has registered for disaster assistance. Information about registering with FEMA is available on the Tulane website. If you are not a U.S. citizen and are working on a non-immigrant visa, you should check with FEMA as to your eligibility. If FEMA determines you are ineligible for Tulane-FEMA trailers, other housing options may be available. Please visit the Tulane Temporary Housing Connection website for properties that may be available for rent near the university.
How soon will I know if I’ve been approved for a Tulane-FEMA trailer? How soon will I be able to move in?
FEMA has not given the university a delivery date for the trailers or confirmed the number of trailers we will be able to place on the Belle Chasse, Primate Center, or Rosen House parking lot sites. Until we receive that information from FEMA, we will not be able to assign trailers to any applicant. We anticipate that the trailers will be available in mid- to late-January, but cannot offer a confirmed date at this time.
What am I supposed to do for housing between the time Tulane tells me I will receive a trailer and the time the trailers actually arrive?
Individuals are urged to make every effort to find housing on their own, including placing FEMA Individual Assistance program trailers on their own property if the necessary infrastructure is present. The university is providing a cruise ship, tentatively scheduled to arrive in New Orleans in late December, to accommodate students displaced by the storm and flooding. A limited amount of “swing” cabin space will be made available on the ship for faculty and staff after the students have been accommodated. Cabins will be available on a month-to-month rental basis. Information on cabin availability, rents for cabins, meal plan costs and other information will be posted on this website as soon as it is available.
In addition to the trailers and the cruise ship, are there other Tulane housing options available for faculty and staff?
Although the university is trying to accommodate the needs of all displaced faculty and staff, we cannot guarantee that every family can or will be accommodated. The opportunity to rent a very limited number of apartments and modular housing units will be made available by lottery to those Tulane employees who applied for Tulane-FEMA trailers. Other employees may be eligible for any alternate housing options on a space-available basis only.
If I am offered a Tulane trailer, can I take the trailer and move it to my own property?
No. FEMA will not allow an employee to move a trailer issued to Tulane University to his or her own home. Only trailers applied for and received through FEMA’s Individual Assistance program can be placed on an individual’s own property.
If FEMA offers me a trailer through its Individual Assistance Program, can I place that trailer on Tulane’s property?
No. Only trailers issued directly to Tulane by FEMA can be placed on Tulane’s property.
If I apply for a trailer through FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program, and also apply for a trailer through Tulane, is this a double application? What effect will my Tulane application have on the application I’ve made directly with FEMA?
None. The applications are completely separate from each other, and are not duplicate applications. If FEMA offers you a trailer through its Individual Assistance Program, it is up to you whether you accept it or not. Likewise, if Tulane offers an employee a Tulane-FEMA trailer, you will have to decide whether to accept it or not. FEMA will not allow you to accept both trailers.
If am assigned to a trailer on Tulane’s campus, will I remain eligible for one to be placed on my own property through FEMA’s Individual Assistance program if one becomes available?
Yes.
If I apply for and accept a Tulane-FEMA trailer, and then find other housing, what do I do?
If you accept a Tulane-FEMA trailer and later find alternative housing, Tulane will assign the trailer to another employee in need of housing after you move out.
If I accept a Tulane-FEMA trailer or other university-provided housing, and am later separated from the university or voluntarily resign my position, can I continue to live in my assigned housing?
It depends on what housing you’ve been assigned to. If you are living in a Tulane-FEMA trailer, you will be allowed to remain in your trailer for up to 18 months, depending on the location. If you are living in any other housing, the university retains the right to ask you to vacate the premises in 60 days.
How long will I be allowed to stay in a Tulane-FEMA trailer?
The lease with FEMA will be at least 18 months.
Who owns the Tulane-FEMA trailers?
FEMA owns the trailers it will provide to Tulane.
Are FEMA trailers furnished? What things will I need to be able to live in one?
FEMA trailers are basic travel trailers furnished with built-in beds, a couch, sink, bathroom, etc. Each person will need to provide his or her own bed linens, utensils, etc.
I am an international student and am not eligible for FEMA assistance. May I still apply for housing?
Yes. You do not have to eligible for FEMA assistance to apply for student housing. Please contact Housing and Residence Life at http://hrl.tulane.edu for spring 2006 assignments information.
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