WASHINGTON, DC— The Federal Emergency Management Agency is picking up an $11 million nightly tab to house Hurricane Katrina evacuees in hotels around the country. The size of the nightly bill has escalated in the last 10 days as the Federal agency has moved to shut down poorly run shelters, forcing more people into hotels in Texas, Oklahoma, and other states. According to press reports, nearly 600,000 persons were being housed in mostly economy and budget hotels during the week of Oct. 9, often an entire family in a single room. The tremendous demand has placed numerous operational burdens on hotel owners and managers.
