County and city officials in Los Angeles tried to determine Tuesday how best to accommodate at least 2,000 evacuees expected to be brought from the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa assembled key members of their respective administrations over the Labor Day weekend to assess howthe city and county could host thousands of displaced families that survived the disastrous hurricane, officials said.

Molina and Villaraigosa committed to taking at least 2,000 evacuees.

Local officials earlier announced the creation of a Los Angeles city-county Katrina Evacuees Task Force to assist survivors with immediate and long-term transitional assistance.

Local efforts will be coordinated with the California State Office of Emergency Services, the federal government, city and county departments and non-profit organizations such as the American Red Cross.

The mayor and county supervisor jointly activated the Los Angeles County Emergency Operation Center to prepare for the intensive response involved in assisting the evacuees.

Dozens of people have already traveled from the ruins of Louisiana and Alabama to Los Angeles County and are being shelteredat the Dream Center, a non-profit agency.

The newly formed task force is preparing to assist with shelter,supportive services, information and coordination of private sectorassistance with the goal of finding evacuees more permanent housingas soon as possible.

Molina and Villaraigosa called on the private sector as well as nonprofit organizations to help them provide for the needs of the children and families that are coming to the Los Angeles area.

Source: Xinhua