In 2007 a new threat emerged. Formaldehyde. As as you might guess, taxpayers will be held responsible.

According to Jim Stark, FEMA's Director of  the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office, over 92,000 Louisiana families have taken refuge in a FEMA trailer since the storm. More than half are now back in more permanent housing, and his agency is doing its level best to make it possible for others to find better housing as well.

This is incredible. People, families, who had been living in houses and apartments across New Orleans are still living in travel trailers. These travel trailers are in driveways, open lots, and parks across the city and the region. Offering less living space than the luxury bathrooms featured on numerous house "flipping" shows on HGTV, these trailers now threaten to poison their inhabitants with formaldehyde fumes.

Scanning the local newspaper this morning I saw no less than 10 offerings from local attorneys who would help you recover money for damages you incurred while living in a FEMA trailer.

Why would anyone want to live in a tiny travel trailer for years when they could live decently anywhere in America except Orleans Parish? If you are on your own property and working to repair your home, it makes sense to live in a trailer. Otherwise....what are you thinking?

In February 2008 accounts of formaldehyde in the 35,000 trailers still in use are surfacing again. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) just determined that the levels of formaldehyde varied widely and could cause health hazards. (Do you smell a class action lawsuit brewing?) FEMA has announced that they will no longer use trailers as emergency housing. They will use mobile homes! Current residents of the trailers are being moved to hotels or apartments. But thousands who still have trailers on their property while conducting repairs on their homes are objecting (the Road Home money hasn't even been fully distributed yet).