Bring the People Home
* Gulf Coast leaders agree that lack of affordable housing is one of the
biggest barriers to recovery. Over 60,000 people are still living in
"temporary" trailers, and 31,000 are still receiving Federal
Emergency Management Agency housing assistance. Federal officials must ensure
that those displaced by Katrina are back in affordable, decent and permanent
housing no later than August 2008. They must also guarantee families with
children are able to return by supporting quality public education.
* A REAL Road Home: Louisiana's Road Home program to assist homeowners
has been crippled by delays and mismanagement, and it now faces a shortfall of
as much as $5 billion. Federal lawmakers must step up oversight and identify
ways to cut red tape and accelerate closings. They must also ensure programs
provide sufficient resources to cover escalating rebuilding costs.
* Help Renters: About half of those displaced by Katrina and Rita were
renters, and rent costs have jumped asmuch as 70 percent across the region.
However, housing programs have focused largely on homeowners. A bill that's
passed the House and a similar measure being considered by the Senate would
help speed up the repair and rebuilding of affordable rental units and provide rental
assistance. But of the more than 82,000 rental units destroyed by Katrina and
Rita, only 33,000 are on track to be rebuilt. The federal government must act
immediately to create significantly more affordable rental housing, as well as
provide states including Texas and Alabama with funding and tax credits to
expand access to housing affordable to the displaced.
* Save Public Housing: Even though many New Orleans public housing units
suffered little flood damage, federal and local officials have announced plans
to tear down four of the city's largest complexes and replace them with
mixed-income housing with less room for the poor. Community leaders support a
housing recovery bill that's passed the House and would require one-to-one
replacement of the 7,000 public housing units in the city pre-Katrina, and
there are similar provisions in the measure under consideration by the Senate.
* Strengthen Schools: Closed schools and limited resources available for
special needs students are preventing many displaced families from returning
home. The federal government needs to ensure public education gets the
financial support it needs by fully funding school construction needs, special
education mandates, alternative and transitional schools.
* Insurance Reform: Thousands of homeowners and businesses were denied
insurance coverage after the storms. Federal lawmakers should pass legislation
currently being considered in the House that would add wind coverage to the
national flood insurance program and take other steps to make insurance
accessible and affordable to Gulf Coast residents. It should also approve a
House plan that would allow states to join forces to create catastrophic
insurance pools.
3. Create Good Jobs to Rebuild the Gulf
Gulf Coast leaders say another serious barrier to rebuilding is a lack of
good jobs. For example, there are 100,000 fewer jobs available in New
Orleans today than before the 2005 storms. Immigrant worker advocates report
widespread abuse and wage theft by reconstruction contractors, and long-time
residents say they've been locked out of recovery work. Washington has a unique
opportunity to create good-paying jobs that will not only directly help working
families but also accelerate Gulf Coast rebuilding and revive the regional economy.
* Launch a Gulf Coast Civic Works Program: During the Great Depression,
the Works Progress Administration created four million jobs in two months
building schools, hospitals, and other vital projects. Under a plan currently
being promoted by Gulf Coast leaders and national allies, Washington could
create 100,000 public jobs paying $15 an hour to help residents get back on
their feet and rebuild their communities.
* Protect Workers' Rights: Recovery workers have faced far too much
abuse and fraud by their employers; the Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance
alone has recovered over $1 million in stolen wages. At the same time,
African-American workers point to a pattern of exclusion from rebuilding jobs.
The U.S. Department of Labor must step up efforts to investigate and prosecute
workplace abuse and discrimination, and expand opportunity through affirmative
action programs.
4. Protect the Coast and its People
Gulf Coast leaders say another reason many residents are reluctant to come home
is the lack of federal commitment to ensure people are kept out of harm's way.
* Levees for New Orleans: The Gulf Coast is in its second hurricane
season post-Katrina, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has spent only 20
percent of the $8.4 billion allocated for New Orleans levee repair. A recent
analysis found that most city neighborhoods today are at as great a risk of
destruction from flooding as they were pre Katrina. Federal leaders must demand
accountability and exercise oversight to ensure the Corps speeds up the
provision of storm defenses. In addition, Congress
should establish an independent commission to improve Louisiana's flood
protection system.
* A Plan for Coastal Protection: Wetlands are one of the best defenses
against future storms, yet programs for coastal protection and remediation are
woefully inadequate. President Bush recently threatened to veto a water
resources bill passed by the House that includes $1.9 billion for coastal
wetlands restoration in Louisiana; the price tag for sustainable restoration is
estimated at $14 billion. Washington must swiftly implement a comprehensive
program to arrest coastal destruction, as experts say there is only a decade
left to act before low-lying communities will be completely lost to rising
waters.
* Protect Public Health: Gulf Coast residents face a shocking array of
health threats. Testing has found dangerous levels of heavy metals and other
contaminants, with lead readings in some spots two-thirds higher than what EPA
deems safe. Building demolitions released asbestos to the environment, unsafe
debris disposal practices threaten groundwater supplies, and most of FEMA's
trailers contained dangerous levels of formaldehyde. Residents complain of
respiratory and other physical health problems brought on by the pollution, and many are also struggling with severe
psychological trauma and stress. These problems have been exacerbated by the
region's still-hobbled medical system.
5. Overhaul Disaster and Oversight
Gulf Coast leaders express outrage when Washington officials claim to have
spent enormous sums of money on hurricane recovery when so little money has
gotten to those most in need. Less than 30 percent of Katrina outlays have been
for long-term rebuilding-and less than half of that has been spent.
* Remove Red Tape: With billions of dollars in hurricane recovery funds
still sitting untouched, the White House and Congress must commit to
identifying and removing bottlenecks that are preventing resources from
reaching those most in need.
* Contracting Oversight: An August 2006 Congressional report found that
$8.75 billion worth of contracts for hurricane relief and recovery were tainted
by overcharges, wasteful spending or mismanagement. A more recent study found
$2.4 billion in "cost-plus" contracts that have led to huge cost
overruns. FEMA must overhaul its contracting practices to expand opportunities
for smaller local businesses and to prevent waste, and Congress must heighten
oversight of contracting and disaster spending.
* Reform the Stafford Act: The Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act requires local and state governments to pay a percentage of the
cost of rebuilding projects up front before receiving federal aid. Lawmakers didn't
strike the requirement for the Gulf - as was done after 9/11 - until May of
this year. In addition, the law discourages local governments from building
smarter, penalizing them for safety or energy- efficiency improvements.
Congress should act on proposals to overhaul the Stafford Act so it better
meets the needs of communities recovering from catastrophic disasters.
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