Post-Katrina activism and economics
With the recovery from hurricane season 2005 passing its crisis days and settling in for the long slog, here's an update on some of the surrounding political activism, and a little bit about actual rebuilding. The following includes some links to political Web sites and publications. These are not necessarily endorsed at face value, but are provided as indicators of political currents that could have economic effects.
After an initial freeze, evictions are now reportedly taking place in record numbers in New Orleans, while landlords seek legislative relief for their loss of September rent money. At the same time, developers are wanting more reassurances before they sink time and money into the rebuilding effort. The C.J. Peete public housing development, which officially began rebuilding this past week, has posted a request for qualifications for architectural and engineering services with responses due Nov. 28, 2005.
The alternative press is full of criticisms including this one. Also this widely circulated editorial, which says HUD has locked its New Orleans public housing tenants out of their homes and implies the decision may be meant to discourage returnees. Whatever the reasons may be, the Housing Authority of New Orleans does in fact have an announcement posted stating that "HANO is not re-opening at this time due to security and safety concerns" and providing a number for tenants to call to remove "personal belongings."
Both the Industrial Areas Foundation and ACORN are organizing energetically among displaced tenants and poorer homeowners. A recent report in The Nation implies there may be a sense of competition between the two entities, both of which follow their own distinctive organizing templates. This kind of ground-level organizing is of course partly concerned with returning tenants to apartments, but it is proceeding on a fairly different plane from the lobbying and policy efforts of multifamily housing groups like the National Multi Housing Council and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Some planners are arguing that rights of return to heavily damaged areas should be granted or denied according to scientific determinations of flood safety. But the question of who returns where is hardly likely to be determined by science. On one level it's becoming knottily political. On another level, as David Smith notes, day-to-day economic and physical realities are pushing New Orleans into a new shape while the political arguing continues.
After an initial freeze, evictions are now reportedly taking place in record numbers in New Orleans, while landlords seek legislative relief for their loss of September rent money. At the same time, developers are wanting more reassurances before they sink time and money into the rebuilding effort. The C.J. Peete public housing development, which officially began rebuilding this past week, has posted a request for qualifications for architectural and engineering services with responses due Nov. 28, 2005.
The alternative press is full of criticisms including this one. Also this widely circulated editorial, which says HUD has locked its New Orleans public housing tenants out of their homes and implies the decision may be meant to discourage returnees. Whatever the reasons may be, the Housing Authority of New Orleans does in fact have an announcement posted stating that "HANO is not re-opening at this time due to security and safety concerns" and providing a number for tenants to call to remove "personal belongings."
Both the Industrial Areas Foundation and ACORN are organizing energetically among displaced tenants and poorer homeowners. A recent report in The Nation implies there may be a sense of competition between the two entities, both of which follow their own distinctive organizing templates. This kind of ground-level organizing is of course partly concerned with returning tenants to apartments, but it is proceeding on a fairly different plane from the lobbying and policy efforts of multifamily housing groups like the National Multi Housing Council and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Some planners are arguing that rights of return to heavily damaged areas should be granted or denied according to scientific determinations of flood safety. But the question of who returns where is hardly likely to be determined by science. On one level it's becoming knottily political. On another level, as David Smith notes, day-to-day economic and physical realities are pushing New Orleans into a new shape while the political arguing continues.
posted by Martha Bridegam at 11:49 AM
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