Houston Chronicle:
The mass departure of Hurricane Katrina victims to Houston has been replaced by a major exodus from shelters to more permanent housing.
As of 6 a.m. Sunday, there were 4,187 storm survivors staying at the Reliant complex and another 1,076 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, for a total of 5,263, according to the Joint Information Center.
That represents a drop of 2,064 evacuees from the day before, as more people left shelters for apartments, motels, hotels and homes.
About 2,200 evacuees were staying at the 25 other Red Cross shelters in the Houston area, Red Cross officials said.
Another 47,000 evacuees were staying in motels and hotels Sunday, as well as at private homes, said Frank Michel, spokesman for Houston Mayor Bill White.
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"Some are going into motels and hotels for 60 days, while others are going back to New Orleans. Some have been so overwhelmed by the hospitality in Houston, Harris County and Texas in general that they want to stay."
Meanwhile, officials have streamlined efforts to help evacuees get financial assistance for more stable housing.
The American Red Cross on Sunday released a long-awaited toll-free number for victims to get help — 800-975-7585.
When they call in, evacuees should be ready to provide their name, pre-storm address, ZIP code and home telephone number. The Red Cross will then provide a client identification number that will be used to obtain financial help.
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