Nearly 10,000 pass through FEMA center in Bogalusa; help continues

BY MARCELLE HANEMANN

The Daily News

BOGALUSA - The latest in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hurricane Katrina news includes housing units, possible tax relief and numbers served.

By late last week, 9,835 people had been served at the FEMA Disaster Relief Center in Bogalusa, and the facility was far from empty, despite rumors it had closed. The center in Franklinton was previously closed and numbers were not immediately available.

Temporary housing for hurricane victims is one of the major priorities for FEMA and the state. Statewide, 26,508 temporary housing units, including travel trailers, mobile homes, federal housing, FEMA leases and cruise ship rooms are occupied, according to a FEMA release. Washington Parish, which has 235 occupied units, ranks 12th among the 55 listed parishes.

Jefferson Parish has the most, with 7,297, followed by St. Tammany Parish with 4,197 and Orleans Parish with 3,854.

The total number of temporary housing units ready for occupancy throughout the Gulf Coast exceeds 64,000, according to FEMA.

While recovery begins with a safe place to live, it can certainly be helped by tax relief.

Louisiana residents who suffered losses from the hurricane may be eligible for special tax relief under legislation passed earlier this year, according to FEMA.

Tax relief is available to individuals and businesses throughout Louisiana, though some relief is specifically targeted to individuals in the most severely impacted areas. FEMA and the state Department of Revenue urge Louisiana taxpayers to contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or a local tax preparer to take advantage of the benefits.

The relief includes:

  • The ability to withdraw up to $100,000 without penalty from certain retirement accounts.

  • Filers who itemize do not have to deduct 10 percent of their adjusted gross income and a $100 deductible to claim disaster losses. Filers can claim up to the full amount of the loss.

    * An option to file an amended 2004 return, or to claim your losses on your 2005 tax return.

    The Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005 also provides tax relief for individuals who provided assistance to disaster victims.

    Individuals who took in hurricane victims are also eligible for tax relief, including a $500 deduction for each person they housed for at least 60 days, for up to $2,000 dollars per year.

    The act also raises the rate for mileage deductions for the use of personal vehicles for charitable purposes and lifts the cap on charitable deductions made through the end of 2005.

    Taxpayers in the most severely affected parishes also have extended deadlines to file amended returns or quarterly taxes. For specific information about what tax benefits are available to each individual, FEMA encourages Louisianians to contact the IRS at www.irs.gov or at a toll-free hotline established to help hurricane victims with tax matters, 1-866-562-5227.

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