A flood of generosity: the apartment industry responds immediately with nationwide outreach.

Immediately following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region, a flood of blame came in about the lack of timely and organized response by all levels of government.

No such blame was directed at the apartment industry. The more than 32,000 members of NAA immediately mobilized and worked around the clock to provide an outpouring of assistance, most specifically housing, for the nearly half-million evacuees.

Units were sought nationwide, and NAA's members made an abundance of them available--many at no cost for a short-term basis, and most every at a discounted rate.

Owners have waived most if not all administrative fees and made screening exceptions to some who were unemployed due to the catastrophe. Utility services and vital supplies, such as water, food, clothing, diapers, formula and baby food, were collected by the truckload from members, who loaded them up and sent them to those in need.

"Right after the hurricane hit, apartment owners from around the country began calling us and telling us they wanted to do anything they could to help," said Doug Culkin, NAA Executive Vice President. "Our strategy was three-tiered: We provided homes and utilities, we raised money and we arranged for in-kind contributions, such as furniture and clothing. It essentially was a leap of faith by our members, who focused more on the needs of the evacuees than the immediate business concerns they might have had."

Owners listed their available vacant units of all varieties-market-rate, affordable, student, temporary living and military--on HurricaneHousing.net, a searchable database of nationwide housing resources that has included thousands of listings from NAA members.

The Website, which received rental housing units from nearly 10,000 communities, continues to operate as additional, specific needs of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the American Red Cross, United Way and other supportive agencies and organizations are identified.

NAA members were able to maintain patience and perseverance while facing communication breakdowns with government officials who sometimes struggled with internal communication, often limited to cell-phone use only. Governments' staff and volunteers often logged 20-hour days during the weeks following the flooding--another test of everyone's composure.

"But in the end, it's all worth it," said Richard Campo, Chairman and CEO of Houston-based Camden Property Trust.

NAA affiliates and their members also strived to have IRS restrictions lifted of relaxed, and, in Houston, a voucher system was created through its City Hall to expedite the process of placing evacuees.

Houston Apartment Association's (HAA) efforts were particularly noteworthy. Working with the Texas Apartment Association and other nearby affiliates, HAA took a leading role, setting an example for apartment owners in nearby metropolitan areas.

It did not take long for the available housing stock in Houston to run out. Just days after fleeing New Orleans--a city ravaged by the flooding and damaged by winds behind this Category 5 hurricane--evacuees made their way in droves to Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio and every town in between. Many traveled in disbelief, sorrow and anger as they relocated to places as far away as Montana. Approximately 20 percent of New Orleans' population includes people below the poverty line. Katrina left more than 1,000 Gulf Coast residents dead.

Through the first three weeks, an estimated 30,000 evacuees went to Houston and 20,000 to 25,000 evacuees entered Dallas.

Heavy Lifting

NAA President Tom Day lives in Dallas. Day's company, Hepfner, Smith, Airhart & Day, moved 10 families into apartments during the first weekend after the flooding. "We had a family that left New Orleans on Friday and they were moved in by Saturday," Day said.

"Apartment communities and the people within them have come together like never seen before on a scale that will be remembered for life. The tears and the huge smiles of gratitude from these new residents are overwhelming," he said.

Day and his staff personally helped carry in two loads of furniture, beds, food and other supplies. "They just wanted to be closer to their family members in Frisco, Texas," Day said. "As a property owner, I understand the power of having a home, and after going through such a terrible ordeal, the first step back to normalcy is having one. Our industry is committed to helping these people for the long-term."

The efforts of Day's staff are like those made by so many others across the country. From independent owners in places such as Pekin, Ill., Raleigh, N.C., and Hephzibah, Ga., who made a couple of units available, to the nation's largest real estate investment trusts that donated a substantial portion of their expansive portfolios, NAA would like to recognize and sincerely thank the people behind all of the efforts, those listed in this article and the thousands more who are not.

A Couple of Flat Tires

Arlington Properties, based in Birmingham, Ala., manages three communities (520 units) in Gulfport, Miss., and by Sept. 2, enough water, food and other necessities had been donated by its associates, its law firm and vendors to fill a 7-by-7-foot trailer, a pick-up truck and a van.

"We had so many supplies we overloaded the trailer, as evidenced by the fact we blew out two tires on the trailer on the way down," said Kent Graeve, President, Arlington Properties, and NAA Region 9 Vice President. "That and the difficulty of getting gas made the trip much longer. But these supplies were driven to Gulfport on [Sept. 2] and distributed to our residents. We had a similar amount of supplies sent down less than a week later and had another shipment ready to go a couple of days after that.

"The experience in Gulfport the week following the hurricane was one I will not forget. Seeing the need for just the basics and how appreciative the people were to have water touched me. People at Arlington Properties and our friends made a difference in the lives of a number of people over the Labor Day Weekend."

Graeve said there is still so much to be done that it will take years to recover. "There are some areas where the buildings have been completely removed by wind, water and a combination thereof," he said.

Carey Nelms, Regional Vice President, BH Management, Dallas, shared a similar experience. "Like all apartment management companies, BH does not move residents into units that aren't ready," she said. "But in this case, the evacuees were more than happy to take whatever became available. Many offered to clean the apartments themselves. They were just happy to have a place to live. They were so appreciative."

David Lynd, Chief Operating Officer of San Antonio-based The Lynd Co., which owns and manages apartment communities across the Southeast, reported that about 900 people at five of its communities in Mississippi and Louisiana were displaced by the hurricane.

Lynd said that the company's Metairie, La., property completely flooded and suffered more than $1 million in damage, but will be repaired. He said the mandatory evacuation hindered preservation efforts. "Had we stayed a bit longer and done just some of the preventative measures we could have, more of the community could have been salvaged."

A 74-unit community in Gulfport, Miss., from which residents were evacuated, will not be rebuilt, he said.

"One of our communities in Gulfport was obliterated," Lynd said. "If it weren't for the slab and the mailboxes still standing, you wouldn't know anything was there."

Jeff Kelly, President and COO of Memphis, Tenn.-based LEDIC Management, said, "We are very proud of how our site teams and the entire industry reacted so quickly to the disaster to provide physical and financial assistance through various events."

We Can Do This, So Can You

Houston-based Camden Property Trust was among the first major firms to offer free units. Camden CEO Campo held a conference call on Aug. 30 that included a couple dozen other high-level executives. On that call, Campo stepped forward, sharing his plans for what his company would do to help those seeking housing.

Camden donated 30 fully furnished, rent-free apartment homes for a term of 60 days. The United Way in Houston administered the placement of families in these apartments, which included free electricity provided by Green Mountain Energy, one of hundreds of service partners that pitched in.

Katrina victims who came to Camden independently--Camden was among dozens of management companies that had evacuees show up on their doorsteps--had their application and administrative fees waived and received discounted rates on security and pet deposits. Camden's resident screening partner, Credit Retriever, provided free resident screening and free criminal and credit checks to Camden applicants.

Campo said that as of Sept. 14, Camden had placed 17 families. Campo challenged his peers to match or exceed his company's generosity.

Many didn't need the challenge; they came through anyway.

Equity Residential donated $1 million to relief efforts.

Strong Management, which owns 10 communities (a total of 1,400 units) based in hurricane haven Winter Park, Fla., donated a free, seven-month lease and free utilities for one apartment at each community larger than 50 units, for a total of nine units donated. Strong also will provide furniture, housewares and clothing for that same period of time, said Strong President Kevin Grail.

Strong was among the many NAA member communities that experienced similar destruction one year ago when four major hurricanes over six weeks combined to tear apart large cities throughout Florida.

"Last year, almost all of our communities suffered damage from the hurricanes and some suffered severe damage," Grail said. "From that experience, we're very much acquainted with how desperate some of these people can be. Helping out is the right thing to do."

More Than A Roof

On Sept. 2, CED-Concord Management, Maitland, Fla., announced that it was waiving the application fee and rent for September 2005 at 24 of its apartment communities, opening them for evacuees. Because of overwhelming response and ongoing need, Concord Management President Ed Kleiman announced five days later that the offer was expanded to all CED-Concord Management's 145 apartment communities in 10 states.

CED Companies President Mike Sciarrino said his company wanted to help rebuild these people's lives. "In the face of this tragedy, we asked ourselves what we could do best," he said. "The answer was clear: make every empty apartment in our communities available for a hurricane victim."

Seeing that so many of the displaced residents were glued to the television at CED's clubhouse at Willow Green in Houston, its community manager decided to give all evacuees placed at Willow Green the same welcome gift: new TVs equipped with cable cords, along with immediate access to cable.

Responding to the urgent need to house Katrina evacuees, Lubbock, Texas, Mayor Marc McDougal, brother of NAA Board Member and McDougal Properties President Mike McDougal, informed Gov. Rick Perry that Lubbock was prepared to house and attend to the needs of up to 1,000 evacuees.

Within hours of the mayor's request, McDougal Properties offered special assistance for Katrina evacuees with 203 available apartment units, housing a total of 680 occupants.

In addition, Mike McDougal said that his team was working on the availability of furniture, linens and other living items for evacuees who chose to move into McDougal communities, with a goal of having communities ready within 24 hours.

KSI Management Corp., based in Northern Virginia, is providing 12 free apartments, including utilities, for up to nine months in the Washington, D.C., area. Brook Furniture Rental is providing furniture and housewares at no cost for these apartments. American Express is assisting with procuring additional necessities, and FlexCar is providing free memberships and 25 free hours of usage per month per apartment.

"Knowing those affected need more than just a roof over their heads, KSI and its partners are able to provide many basic necessities," said Karen A. Kossow, Assistant Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

'Love Them, Care for Them'

Wilkinson Real Estate Advisors, based in Atlanta and owned by Jerry Wilkinson, Chairman of the Board and NAA Region 4 rice President, donated nearly 100 units, and three evacuees are in the process of being placed at Oakview Place in Hephzibah, Ga

"They lost everything except the clothes on their backs and their cell phones," said David Jay, Senior Property Manger, Wilkinson Real Estate Advisors. "They've been told they can't go back because there is nothing left there for them to salvage. One of our new residents spent the past 22 years working for the city of New Orleans. There is no way that people not affected by the hurricane can understand what they are going through. We can just love them, care for them and help them."

Jay said his heart goes out to the displaced residents of New Orleans, one of whom had spent the past two weeks living in a duplex with 30 others.

Five families have moved into The Colonnade, an apartment community in Hermitage, Tenn., owned by United Dominion Realty Trust, a Colorado-based company with nine Nashville-area apartment communities.

The property manager said that most evacuees found The Colonnade through an apartment locating service. United Dominion lowered its deposit to $100 from $150-$200, eliminated administrative fees and lowered the application fee from $40 to $7, reported Nashville daily newspaper The Tennessean.

Nearly 100 families displaced by Katrina were moved from shelters and hotels to newly-renovated apartments provided by Capitol Development Group, an Atlanta-based development company.

The families are receiving several months free rent in one-, two- and three-bedroom units. All have new appliances, HVAC systems and floor finishes.

Together with ProLandscapes Inc., Capitol Development Group is leading the effort to help the families establish their new households, settle their family members into their new homes, enroll their children in school and familiarize themselves with their new neighborhoods. Representatives of Lane Management LLC, which manages many of the properties, went to an area shelter to take housing applications and is helping with the transition.

A job fair was held in September in the clubhouse of one of Capitol Development's Atlanta communities managed by Lane to assist the evacuee families in locating employment.

The employees of Capitol Development Group have also made personal commitments to evacuees. Long-term facilities manager Robert Freeman opened his home to two families. "I just thank God for the opportunity to help," Freeman said.

Southern Management Corp., Vienna, Va., donated hundreds of two-way radios to the Red Cross for use in Gulf Coast areas where traditional communication was challenged of non-existent. These walkie-talkies were needed for critical communication between Red Cross shelters.

Southern Management also sent a team of employment recruiters, application processors and apartment locater representatives to the D.C. Armory to offer jobs and apartments to victims relocated to the Washington, D.C., area. Southern is developing a long-term program to offer free rent or discounts, furniture rental, no application fee, no move-in deposit and a streamlined application approval process for those affected.

"These folks need help and a fresh start, and we will do everything we can to provide that to as many victims as possible," said Ron Frank, President and COO of Southern Management Corp.

Houston Becomes the Hub

NAA's 171 local affiliates played a vital role in the apartment industry's immediate response to evacuees' housing needs and NAA wishes to recognize and thank all affiliates that stepped forward, but perhaps none more than the Houston Apartment Association (HAA).

The closest major metropolitan area to New Orleans, Houston became the destination of many people displaced by Katrina. HAA, led by its Executive Vice President Jeff Hall, CAE, immediately began registering apartments, but more importantly, worked with city and state governments to forge a voucher system that expedited the process of placing new residents in apartments.

With the help of NAA Region 6 Vice President Kirk Tate, Orion Real Estate Services, members met regularly with Houston Mayor Bill White and hammered out a voucher system that met the needs of the city, apartment owners and the Katrina evacuees. These steps were taken, in part, to compensate for the delays in placing evacuees due to federal regulations and other policies. More than 250 owners attended a meeting with HAA and the city's government. HAA staff worked onsite at City Hall in the Katrina Housing Task Force to assist housing providers with completing their contracts.

Maximum allowable rental rates were established based on HUD Section 8 maximums for combined rent and utilities. Electric and gas are being addressed separately by the city. Details and updates were posted continuously on HAA's Website at www.haaonline.org.

"The outpouring of help from the apartment industry has been tremendous," Hall said.

Television news reports on Sept. 10 featured Mayor White's press conference, along with HAA President Larry Hill, at the Timber Ridge Apartments, an Orion community owned by Tate in north Houston, where 40 evacuee families were being housed. More than 20,000 evacuees now occupy Houston apartments.

"This was just one point of evidence of the important role HAA members played," Hall said. "So much continues to change and get reorganized every day. The city, county and HAA worked together to place all of the evacuees in shelters as soon as possible, starting with the largest shelters at Reliant Park and the Convention Center. HAA owner and management members worked 24/7 to move in the evacuees. We estimate [tens of thousands of] evacuees are in Houston, and a large number will become permanent Houston residents."

According to a survey of apartment management companies in the Houston metropolitan area released Sept. 13 by J Turner, the apartment industry will feel the effects of Hurricane Katrina for nearly nine months.

Dallas Helps Eliminate 'Doomsday'

Dallas-based apartment management executive and NAA Region 6 Vice President Ron Shelton, CAPS, Amalgamated Management, said four rounds of evacuees came into Texas seeking rental housing.

The first round consisted of people who fled their city immediately, carrying some of their most valued possessions and living essentials. The second were those who barely got out and had practically no belongings; the third were those who came directly from the shelters, such as the Superdome; and the fourth were people who found a place to live immediately with family and friends, but have since realized they need a more permanent place to stay.

The Apartment Association of Greater Dallas (AAGD) said that on Sept. 12 its Executive rice President Gerry Henigsman, CAPS, was contacted by Dallas Mayor Laura Miller who said that Dallas' shelters still had 1,500 to 2,000 evacuees without housing. Miller then requested 500 to 700 apartment units, saying the city of Dallas would pay the first two months' rent.

AAGD mobilized and quickly listed 2,100 units by address, giving evacuees a choice based on their needs. These units, Shelton said, were near public transportation and schools, which helped make the transition easier.

Dallas apartment companies, like many others across the nation, worked with churches to organize "Sponsor a Family" programs.

"I can't praise the Houston and Dallas governments enough," said San Antonio-based owner Lynd. "Instead of waiting to see what had to be done, their action gave us some parameters to work from, and that made a difference in helping to get some semblance of everyday life back to the evacuees. San Antonio was able to see what Houston and Dallas had done and followed along with it."

The Apartment Association of Tarrant County (AATC), Fort Worth, Texas, added to its Web site, www.aatcnet.org, a clearinghouse of available apartment communities that will make apartments available on shorter leases as well as more traditional lease terms for Hurricane Katrina victims. The database of available units has grown to 3,200 available apartment homes. The association revamped its site to provide an easy link and online form for its members to register available apartment units. The site also serves as a quick resource for helping displaced families seek and secure new homes. The association provides a daily updated list of available apartment homes to city and county officials.

The Apartment Association of Greater Wichita will donate all proceeds from its "The Star of Excellence" award ceremony on Oct. 15 to the Hurricane Relief Fund, according to Association Executive Tisha D. Cannizzo.

Service Providers al Their Service

In addition to the units donated by apartment management firms, service providers have donated goods and services to help evacuees get back on their feet.

The Home Depot Supply donated nearly $4 million to the recovery effort and also coordinated with mattress manufacturer Simmons to have mattresses sent directly to places of need. It also has set up supply distribution facilities in Baton Rouge, La., and Jackson, Miss., to serve the needs of evacuees with free essential supplies.

BellSouth provided emergency and relief services for employees and retirees and their families in six cities, including approximately $12 million in meals, supplies and services provided to date. An average of 9,000 meals were served daily; ice, water, sleeping bags, cots, mattresses, linen, care kits, over-the-counter medicines, generators, coolers, fans, fuel and clothing were among the supplies.

BellSouth disbursed 1,000 grants totaling more than $750,000 from a disaster relief fund supported by employee and retiree donations. It disbursed more than 1,100 interest-free loans totaling more than $2.8 million and created a Support a Family program that is assisting more than 70 families. It donated $5 million to e-learning initiative for high school students in affected areas and delivered 1,700 Real Yellow Pages directories to shelters. It set up phone banks and lines offering free local and long-distance service (nearly 700 lines total) to evacuees and gave 100,000 prepaid long-distance phone cards to the American Red Cross and its shelters.

Dallas-based Freedom Furniture and Design President Danny Beck said his company donated 1,000 sets of bedroom furniture.

Sears donated $1 million in debit cards to evacuees.

All major online rental companies created searchable databases for evacuees seeking housing nationwide. Apartments.com, for example, launched a Hurricane Katrina Resource Center within its site to help the estimated half-million homeless and displaced citizens in the southeastern United States. Its site is not unlike those created by other major online apartment listing firms.

"Our goal is to provide those impacted by Hurricane Katrina direct and easy access to rental community information and hopefully relieve some of the devastation they are feeling right now," said Tim Fagan, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Apartments.com. "Individuals can use this one-page resource center to locate apartments in the communities they have been transferred to and find some ease and comfort surrounding this tragic situation."

Furthermore, the site includes a listing of properties that have special discounts of other support for Hurricane Katrina victims as well as general links to Hurricane Katrina support and relief sites for victims, their family and friends.

Apartment Finder sent trucks filled with food, water and other supplies and contributions along with helpful volunteers to the American Red Cross.

HPC Publications implemented a three-phase campaign to collect donations and everyday items and address specific needs of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Focusing on the immediate needs of families in Louisiana, Mississippi and Mabama, HPC is soliciting everyday items and matching cash contributions to the American Red Cross collected from its employees.

HPC also provided backpacks for 250 families to the American Red Cross for appropriate distribution.

ForRent.com is reaching out to the areas that can provide temporary homes. A free, custom "Ad Spotlight" is available to communities in areas that can help Katrina evacuees.

RENTNET continues to work with several housing groups such as the National Association of Realtors and Welcome Wagon, placing their information on RENTNET's Website.

RENTNET President Maria Pietroforte, CPM, said her company's site allows apartment owners to comment on what units they have listed. Wrote one, from Arcadia, Fla., "We live in a three-bedroom mobile home FEMA supplied after Hurricane Charley. We would be happy to feed you and your children and we have clothing to spare."

First AdvantageSafeRent, Credit Retriever and RentGrow are among the resident screening companies providing free screening services for residents displaced by Katrina and guidance on modified screening procedures necessitated by the disaster.

"The multifamily housing industry and our clients are providing considerable support to the relief efforts in terms of housing and shelter and it is very important that we support those efforts," said Mike Lapsley, President and CEO of RentGrow.

Employment Relief

Companies such as Farmington Hills, Mich.,-based Village Green became proactive in hiring displaced residents from the Gulf Coast region, stepping up its advertising to fill staff positions in Houston; Baton Rouge, La.; and Jackson, Miss.; where many survivors are being hosted, according to Kim Brown, Vice President of Talent Acquisition and Training. She said that Village Green is hiring for all positions in its Midwest locations.

BG Personnel Services, Dallas, announced three new programs to help people affected by Katrina. BG will donate $100 to the American Red Cross for the Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort for any evacuee of Louisiana, Alabama or Mississippi who works a temporary position for BG.

In addition, BG will donate $1 per hour for as long as they work for BG Personnel in a temporary capacity, and BG will match any contribution a BG Personnel employee makes to the relief effort.

RELATED ARTICLE: Urging congress for a balanced housing policy.

The housing crisis caused by Katrina re-affirms NAA/NMHC's position that Congress must work toward creating a more balanced housing policy.

"Congress and government agencies must realize that the apartment industry stands ready to provide high-quality available housing immediately in situations such as these," NAA Executive Vice President Doug Culkin said. "There is no reason why FEMA and other government agencies must spend money to build, purchase and transport trailers and mobile homes when housing is available nationwide."

Rental housing would be a more suitable long-term solution for many, Culkin said, considering FEMA estimated that evacuees could remain in trailer homes for up to five years.

RELATED ARTICLE: NAA mobilizes.

When Hurricane Katrina first hit the Gulf Coast, NAA Vice President of Government Affairs Barbara Vassallo knew the apartment industry would play a key role in recovery efforts.

With hundreds of thousands of people suddenly made homeless, it was quite clear that we had to get organized." Vassallo said. "The entire NAA staff was involved and really rose to the challenge."

Since Sept. 1, NAA has worked around the clock. Initial efforts focused on responding to hundreds of member inquiries about how to help and how to register vacant units. Offers for assistance continue to pour in to NAA headquarters. The NAA Web sites homepage was completely revamped to reflect the information our members most needed, and government affairs staff briefed regional liaisons on the situation.

Daily conference calls with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA/ resulted in the production of a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section on the NAA Web site. The FAQ continues to be updated regularly as information received from federal officials becomes available.

NAA also has also worked closely with the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC) and called on the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to waive all program requirements for LIHTC properties, properties funded with the proceeds from multifamily tax-exempt bonds, properties financed by the FHA and properties that receive HUD subsidies.

NAA also made a $25.000 donation to the recovery efforts.

RELATED ARTICLE: The latest on www.naahq.org.

This report reflects reporting through Sept. 21. Updates on all hurricane-related information can be found at www.naahq.org.

RELATED ARTICLE: Unprecedented costs.

Former General Electric CEO Jack Welch, writing in The Wall Street Journal, said, "In terms of impact. only an extended catastrophe such as the Great Depression can compare in scope."

With hope, confidence and optimism in the American way, Welch added, "History shows us that crisis almost always seems to give way to something better."

Estimates, which are continuously being revised. show that Katrina insurance losses could total $40 billion to $60 billion, according to RMS, a catastrophe-modeling firm. The Economist magazine estimated that as many as 2 million claims are expected.

Following are the top five natural disasters by insurance loss. according to Swiss Re.

1. Hurricane Andrew     August 1992     $21.5 billion
2. Northridge (Calif.)  January 1994    $17.8 billion
   earthquake
3. Hurricane Ivan       September 2004    $11 billion
4. Hurricane Charley    August 2004        $8 billion
5. Typhoon Mireille     September 1991   $7.8 billion
   (Japan)

Note: Tsunami, Indian Ocean, December 2004, ranked tied for ninth at $5 billion.

RELATED ARTICLE: Evacuee finds refuge in new employment.

The Kamson Corporation. an apartment management company based in Englewood Cliffs. N.J. got a call from one of its employees a week after Hurricane Katrina struck about a family from Biloxi. Miss., that lost all but the clothes on their backs.

The Porratas--Ismael, Patricia and their 2-year old Jian--evacuated Biloxi on Aug. 26 and traveled a few miles inland. After the storm passed, the entire state was in a blackout and gas lines were five hours long so the Porratas decided to head north to Georgia. After reaching Georgia. they saw footage on a television newscast of their neighborhood--it was gone.

They began calling friends, looking for a place to live. That led them to Fox Meadow Apartments in Maple Shade N.J., a community owned by Kamson.

A message was left with its property manager, Jean Scafide, and maintenance manager, Petr Novak, Novak, a refugee from Czechoslovakia. coincidentally was homeless 12 years ago and ultimately was hired by Kamson. He insisted that Kamson do something to help the Porratas.

Kamson arranged for the Porratas to move into a furnished, rent-free apartment and employed Ismael Porratas as a maintenance technician for its make-ready staff.

"We were greeted with open arras by Jean, Petr Novak and the Kamson Corporation when they learned of our plight." said Patricia Porratas. "They gave us an immediate opportunity and a new place for my family to call home. We are forever blessed by everyone's sincere kindness."

Mike Beirne, Kamson's Executive Vice President and NAA Region 2 Vice President said, "You want to help everybody, but that is not possible. If each organization solved only a few of these instances there would be an increased number of happier endings to a terrible beginning."

RELATED ARTICLE: United dominion reunites hurricane family.

After learning that Michael Gilmore, a Service Technician with United Dominion Realty Trust in Atlanta, lost contact his seven children in New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina and the movement of evacuees, United Dominion's Area 6 team put forth a tremendous effort to help locate all of Gilmore's missing family members. Area 6 covers Houston, Austin. Nashville, Atlanta and Denver.

Kara Garst, District Manager of the Austin area, rallied her team to hunt for the missing children.

Vice President Kathy Clem, District Manager Lisa Stiefel, HR Assistant Toni Washington and Trey Martin, all in Houston, created signs from a photo that Gilmore had sent and spent an entire day walking the Houston convention center and the Astrodome passing out fliers, posting the signs and looking for the children.

Stiefel and Clem, along with Beth Van-Winkle, from Milestone Management in Houston. had spent the previous night searching for the children.

Ken Garst, Kara's husband, and several of his co-workers passed out fliers at the San Antonio shelters, including the convention center. United Dominion associates in Austin and Dallas did the same. Others, like Jamie Christensen, Community Director of Pecan Grove in Austin, Texas, searched Web sites to find information about the missing children.

"I cannot tell you how I feel about all the effort our United Dominion family has put into finding these children," Clem said in an e-mail to her co-workers.

First Finds

After the United Dominion team had been searching multiple venues for days, part of the missing family recognized their photos on one of the message boards in the Astrodome.

"Five of Michael Gilmore's seven children from New Orleans have been located!" exclaimed an e-mail sent on Friday, Sept. 9.

As it turned out Gilmore's son Michael Camel and his mother contacted Gilmore in Atlanta on Thursday, Sept. 8. They were evacuated from New Orleans and were staying outside of Galveston, Texas.

The second discovery came during one of Christensen's Internet searches when he found the following message on the NOLA.com Website:

Name: Shondrika Brown

Subject; My Hurricane Story--Looking for my family

Story: I'm looking for my mother, two brothers, and my sister. The last time that I talked to her was Saturday. I'm really worried. My mother just wouldn't leave. I just want to make sure that they're alive. because I know they are. because there's no way that they could die, I don't think. Well, I know that I couldn't live without them. Their names are Karen Brown (mother). Michelle Brown (sister), Michael and Patrick Brown (brothers).

Christensen spoke with Patrick Brown and then Gilmore was contacted with the message. The group was in Gretna without water or electricity, but all were fine. Shondrika spoke to her mother and siblings two days before United Dominion found them. She was in Houston. United Dominion left a message for her to contact the Houston team so they could offer assistance.

Clem was able to relocate the family temporarily in the United Dominion corporate apartment in Houston. Clero and her team then found an apartment for the family to occupy for the long term, outfitted it with furniture and basic necessities--beds, linens, couches, food--and surprised them with a place to live. Clem also helped the family enroll the children in school. As of late September, the family had decided to remain in Houston permanently.

At that time, two other children-Miguel and Monica Jones, and their mother Tonya Brown--who lived in the Harvey area, were still missing.

Happy Ending

On Sunday, Sept. 11 at 3 p.m. Clem received a call from Tonya Brown. She and her husband. Anthony, and five children (including Miguel and Monica Jones) spent three days sleeping on the streets of New Orleans waiting for a bus to take them to the Reliant Center in Houston. They had been in the Reliant Center as evacuees for a week when. on Sunday, they saw Miguel and Monica's picture, along with the rest of Gilmore's children, on the message board, Clem said.

After receiving a call from the family, Clem and Stiefel went to pick them up at the Reliant Center. They provided the family with temporary housing and they are now looking for permanent accommodations so they can live and work in Houston.

"It has been a long two weeks, but it is great to be able to locate and speak with all the family members," Clero said.

Martha Carlin, Executive Vice President of Operations, United Dominion. said, "This could not have been accomplished if it had not been for the dedication of Kathy and her team. They spent countless hours scouring the Internet and the shelters, posting flyers and leaving their cell phone numbers with strangers who might know something of the children's whereabouts. I cannot begin to say how proud I am of all of you for pitching in and helping find these children and make sure they are sale. You really showed Michael [Gilmore] and everyone that at United Dominion we are one big family!"

--Rachel F. Goldberg

Paul R. Bergeron III is NAA's Director of Communications. He can be reached at 703/518-6141 Ext. 137 or [e-mail]. Photos courtesy of Ken Heller, Co-Owner, The Esplanade, Pride Management; Mark Hiebert, HAA Director of Online Media and Managing Editor; Alan Molleur, Director of Energy and Engineering, Southern Management; and United Dominion Realty Trust.