[JURIST] Attorneys acting on behalf of over a dozen Hurricane Katrina [JURIST news archive] disaster victims have filed a complaint [PDF text] seeking class action status against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) [official website] and other government agencies. The lawsuit accuses FEMA of wrongfully denying the plaintiffs temporary housing and seeks declaratory and injunctive relief for the plaintiffs in the form of trailers or other housing for victims living in shelters as well as increased financial relief for families with more children than others. The complaint filed Thursday alleges that once President Bush declared a state of emergency in Louisiana [White House press staement], FEMA was required, not merely authorized, to provide temporary housing assistance to all elligible recipients under the federal Stafford Act [PDF text], and failed to do so. USA Today has more.