A road home for Katrina survivors

There is a bill in Congress that would create a path home for some of the hardest hit Katrina survivors. The Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007 (S.1668) would re-open desperately needed housing and make sure there is no loss of affordable public housing in New Orleans.1

Unfortunately, the Bush administration and several senators are opposing its passage, paving the way for a whiter, wealthier New Orleans and Gulf Coast.2

Can you add your voice to those calling on the Senate to pass S.1668?

http://www.colorofchange.org/s1668/?id=1779-153796

Saving Affordable Housing in New Orleans

New Orleans public housing residents have been fighting for over two years to return to their homes. Many of their units were minimally damaged by the storm, but the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has shut them out. HUD plans to demolish most available public housing units and replace them with mixed-income housing.3 While there are good arguments for mixed-income housing, HUD's plan calls for far fewer total units of affordable public housing, and it completely ignores short-term housing needs. The inevitable result will be thousands of low-income residents--most of whom are Black--pushed out of the city.

S.1668 honors the right to return of all New Orleans public housing residents and takes steps to preserve affordable housing in New Orleans. It requires the re-opening of at least 3,000 public housing units and ensures that there is no net loss of units available and affordable to public housing residents. The bill quickly passed in the House earlier this year, and after thousands of ColorOfChange.org members pushed for the Senate to take action, the bill was introduced to the Senate by Senators Landrieu and Dodd. Now the bill is in danger of dying.

Last month, the Bush administration came out against the idea of reopening public housing units in New Orleans, with a HUD representative making the dubious claim that HUD "can't get people into" existing housing units because "they won't come home."4 Louisiana Senator David Vitter opposed the plan on the grounds that it would "re-create the New Orleans housing projects exactly as they were," which is simply not true.5 What no one can dispute is that the failure to provide affordable housing for low-income residents has contributed to the huge drop in the Black population in the city.6,7 Whether they'll admit it or not, opponents of S.1668 are working to reinforce this trend.

The Gulf Coast needs a housing policy that welcomes all citizens home, not just those who are wealthy, privileged, or White. The Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act is the last great hope for New Orleans public housing residents who want to come home. But it won't pass if we don't fight for it. Please join us in demanding that your senators support S.1668.

http://www.colorofchange.org/s1668/?id=1779-153796

Thank You and Peace,

-- James, Van, Clarissa, Gabriel, Mervyn, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
November 12th, 2007


References:

1. S.1668 Hurricane Housing Recovery Act of 2007-- Congressional Research Service Summary
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?tab=summary&bill=s110-1668

2. Feds oppose full replacement of N.O. public housing units, The Times-Picayune, 9-26-07.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1190786785155740.xml&coll=1

3. New Orleans: HUD Policies Limiting Housing for Poor, Truthout.org, 12-29-06
http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/67/24786

4. see reference 2

5. see reference 2

6. Data confirm New Orleans' Black exodus, Los Angeles Times, 9-12-07
http://tinyurl.com/3xwp2b

7. In New Orleans, Smaller May Mean Whiter, The New York Times, 1-22-06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/22/weekinreview/22dao.html

And Louisiana culture depends on a mix of races and the races working in an exchange of ideas. New Orleans food, music, art, etc. is a blend of French, Spanish, Italian, Cajun and African and Haitian Black. New Orleans needs that cultural balance to reconnect with its roots and to move forward.