Radisson Hotel

New York Solidarity Coalition with Katrina/Rita Survivors filed a class action lawsuit against the hotel in Jamaica, Queens on behalf of nine victims of Hurricane Katrina. On March 1, 2006 the Federal Emergency Management Agency stopped paying hotels, including the Radisson, for housing evacuees, leaving hotels with rooms full of nonpaying guests who had no place else to go. After providing free rooms for a month, Radisson Hotels and owner French Quarter Holdings Inc., began efforts to recoup losses by evicting and suing each evacuee. The lawsuit claimed such practices violated their civil rights. The details of the class action settlement were not disclosed, but the evacuees will be allowed to stay at the hotel while looking for more permanent housing. The Radisson will encourage prompt departure by giving evacuees who check out this week an undisclosed sum of money. (Apr-11-06) [COLUMBIA JOURNALIST]