GALVESTON, Texas — Hurricane Ike victims whose homes remain uninhabitable can stay in hotels or motels paid for by the federal government until the first of November.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced the extension Friday. The program was scheduled to end Tuesday, the one-month anniversary of Ike's landfall in Texas.

Those whose homes have been deemed uninhabitable by FEMA inspectors or whose inspections have not been done qualify for the program.

FEMA spokesman Richard Scorzas says more than 7,000 households displaced by Ike remain registered with FEMA. The agency says a longer-term rental housing program will follow the hotel plan.