Gulf Coast Housing Advocates Gear Up for “Week of Action”

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http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0921-07.htm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2007
2:21 PM


CONTACT: National Low Income Housing Coalition
Nicole Letourneau (NLIHC)
202-662-1530 x227
[e-mail]
Andrew Blejwas (Oxfam America)
617-785-7047

Gulf Coast Housing Advocates Gear Up for “Week of Action”
on the Many Unmet Housing Needs since 2005 Hurricanes


WASHINGTON - September 21 - A group of residents and housing advocates from the Gulf Coast are gearing up for a “Week of Action” when they travel to Washington, D.C. this week to push Congress to address the many remaining housing needs in the Gulf Coast region and discuss legislative and funding solutions. The group includes about 36 residents and advocates from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas.

Nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, tens of thousands of people remain displaced. The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) has worked closely with Gulf Coast residents and local and national organizations on the housing crisis since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

“The shockingly slow pace of rebuilding damaged homes has been well-documented,” Sheila Crowley, president of NLIHC, said. “Replacement of housing that was lost is even slower. There are bills pending in Congress now that will speed the repair and redevelopment of federally-assisted housing on the Gulf Coast, untangle some of the federal rules that are impeding recovery, add new housing resources to the recovery effort and codify the transition of disaster housing assistance from FEMA to HUD. It’s time for Congress to make good on the promises that national leaders have made to the people of the Gulf Coast.”

Residents and advocates will attend the Senate Banking Committee’s hearing on Tuesday on legislation to assist in providing affordable housing to those affected by the 2005 hurricanes, S. 1668, the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007. James Perry, president of the Louisiana Housing Alliance and executive director of the New Orleans Fair Housing Alliance, will testify on behalf of NLIHC.

On Thursday, 34 national and Gulf Coast housing and anti-poverty advocacy groups will sponsor a Congressional briefing to discuss the need for funding for housing recovery in the Gulf Coast states.

Week of Action Events
Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on S. 1668, the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007
9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 25 Room 538,
Dirksen Senate Office Building
Witnesses: Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), S. 1668 co-sponsor; Orlando J. Cabrera, HUD Assistant Secretary; James Perry, Louisiana Housing Alliance and New Orleans Fair Housing Alliance, on behalf of NLIHC; Alan Brown, United Methodist Senior Services of Mississippi, Inc.; James R. Kelly, Providence Community Housing and Catholic Charities; Emelda Paul, Lafitte Resident Council; Amy Liu, The Brookings Institution; and Edgar Bright, Standard Mortgage Corporation, representing Mortgage Bankers Association.

Congressional briefing: “Addressing Remaining Low Income Housing Needs for Hurricane Evacuees and for the Gulf Coast”
Sponsored by 34 national and Gulf Coast organizations. (See complete list below.)
3:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 27 Room 2220, Rayburn House Office Building
Panelists: Chris Kromm, Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch; Rhonda Jackson, Oxfam America, Louisiana; Mike Toman, Rand Corp, Mississippi; Kristin Carlisle, Texas Low Income Housing Information Services; Simone Washington, Alabama Arise; James Perry, Louisiana Housing Alliance and Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center; and Sheila Crowley, National Low Income Housing Coalition.

*** Reporters are strongly encouraged to attend this briefing. Residents and advocates will make themselves available for interviews after the briefing.

Hill Visits Gulf Coast residents and advocates are also scheduling meetings with their Members of Congress throughout the week.

The Facts:
* Hurricanes Katrina and Rita damaged 1 million homes in four states;
* 300,000 homes were destroyed.
* Nearly three-quarters (71%) of the homes that were destroyed were affordable to low income families before the storm.
* Due to the slow pace of rebuilding, two years later, at least 106,000 mostly low income families remain displaced.
* Some 31,000 families are still receiving FEMA rent assistance.
* Another 11,500 families who received HUD housing assistance prior to the storm are still getting disaster housing aid through HUD.
* 65,000 families still reside in FEMA issued travel trailers and manufactured homes;
* 15,000 live in trailer camps with the remainder in trailers on their own property.
* As many as 75,000 additional displaced households may have been cut off from FEMA rent assistance by mistake or wrongful action by FEMA.

Legislative Background:
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D-CT) introduced S. 1668 on June 20, 2007 with Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) as co-sponsor. On March 21, 2007 the House passed its version of a hurricane recovery bill, H.R. 1227, the Gulf Coast Hurricane Housing Recovery Act of 2007. H.R. 1227 was introduced by Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA), chair of the House Financial Services Committee, and Maxine Waters (D-CA), chair of the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.

Sponsors of Congressional briefing:
Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, Inc
American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
The Arc of Louisiana Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Coastal Women for Change
Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities
Greater Baton Rouge Community & Economic Development Coalition
Hip Hop Caucus
Housing 2010
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Louisiana Association on Nonprofit Organizations
Louisiana Community Reinvestment Coalition
Louisiana Housing Alliance
LA Housing Community & Economic Development Collaborative
The Louisiana Justice Institute
Mississippi Coast Interfaith Disaster Task Force
Mississippi for Citizens with Disabilities
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
National Fair Housing Alliance
National Housing Law Project
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness
Oxfam America
PolicyLink
Public Interest Law Project
Steps Coalition
Technical Assistance Collaborative
Texas Appleseed
Texas Low Income Housing Information Service
UNITY of Greater New Orleans
US Jesuit Conference