Edited for typo.
Yesterday, I drove from Biloxi, Mississippi to New Orleans. The "ghost town" of East New Orleans brought a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes. Miles and miles of abandoned houses and
apartment complexes- some of the forgotten victims of Hurricane Katrina. It still feels unreal - two years after the storm. Can it possibly be just a bad dream; some sort of never-ending nightmare???
But then, I got home and checked out the local news on the internet...
One of the top stories of the day says that 3,000 low-income units in 4 housing projects are slated for demolition and "affordable replacements are funded for only 1 in 4 of those."
more...
As she pushed a shopping cart of belongings through the still-life of the Lower 9th Ward, Tamara Martin knew only one source of shelter for this city's burgeoning homeless population: the thousands of buildings left vacant and rotting nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina.
Across New Orleans -- from abandoned sections of the Lower 9th Ward to apartments near City Hall and even wind-shredded suburban houses -- a homeless population that has nearly doubled since Hurricane Katrina is squatting in the ruins of the storm. Through pried-open doors of some of the city's estimated 80,000 vacant dwellings, the poor, mentally ill and drug-addicted have carved out living conditions like those of the Third World.
According to the article, the only effort to tackle post-Katrina homelessness comes from the proposed Gulf Coast Hurricane Housing Recovery Act of 2007...but a spokesman for Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., ranking member of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, said the legislation will stay there until Louisiana's slow-moving Road Home recovery program reports how many people it can help first.
The Gulf Coast Hurricane Housing Recovery Act of 2007 is the only program to work with post-Katrina homelessness.
But, Senator Shelby of Alabama is holding back the money. He won't give out any money until he knows EXACTLY how many people need help! So, nobody gets help until the final period is put in place? Is this for real? Last I checked, New Orleans was in America, right??? Meanwhile, 1,400 people have been arrested for trespassing, and Mrs. Landry of Gretna is concerned the Board of Health will make her leave her home. You see her husband died of lung cancer in March. Before his death, he turned the power back on and patched up his house to the best of his ability but yet, Mrs. Landry can see the stars at night through the roof and she has exposed electrical wires. Perhaps Senator Shelby should pay Mrs. Landry a visit and tell her why she can't get any money???
After reading this article, Senator Shelby will be hearing from me. I hope many of you DU'ers also contact Senator Shelby and ask him why he is holding back the money. What about Senator Vitter and Senator Landrieu?
And Rep. Bobby Jindal is the supposed front runner for this years Governor's race? Are you kidding me!!!! Do we need a George W. Bush "vote-a-like" to be the Governor of Louisiana??? What have these people done to help us? (all emphasis mine)
http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/wwl081807khhomeless.4798c62d.html
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