Annie Clark

Hope Needs Help in New Orleans

Two years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is coming back – but not for everyone.

The French Quarter is, indeed, bustling and the total population is climbing back toward pre-storm levels. But for poor folks and minorities, it's been a struggle every step of the way -- hamstrung by a do-nothing federal government and an at-best bumbling response at all levels. President Bush was far from forthright in his disturbingly upbeat assessment of the recovery at a photo-op today in New Orleans. But, despite all the obstacles and ineptitude, there has been some progress.

Determined residents -- backed by nonprofits, community groups and more than 1 million volunteers -- have helped some poor and vulnerable residents succeed. There are plenty of places where there's hope -- but even more where "Hope Needs Help"

According to a new report, "Building a Better New Orleans: Hope Needs Help," by PolicyLink, a national public policy organization, there have been some visible signs of recovery in the vital arenas of housing, jobs, and schools:

* The city’s population has returned to nearly two-thirds of its pre-Katrina size. The city’s labor force has reached 78 percent of pre-storm size.

* More than 60,000 residential building permits have been issued.

* Twenty-five new public charter schools have opened in New Orleans, and an additional 11 are expected to open this fall.

But the recovery has not reached everyone.

* Little has been done to assist low-income renters. Government subsidies will only help rebuild about 25 percent of the city’s stock of affordable rental housing.

* African-American evacuees were nearly five times more likely to be unemployed than white evacuees in 2006.

* Only 40 percent of students have returned to New Orleans public schools, with 76 percent of those students in free or reduced-cost lunch programs.

* More than 40,000 New Orleans families remain displaced outside of Louisiana.

To address these shortcomings, America needs a coordinated federal effort. The federal government is the only institution with the size, expertise and leadership capabilities needed to deal with a disaster and recovery this massive. A coordinated program that ensures good schools, good jobs and good homes for Katrina's victims is a prerequisite for a true recovery.

The report offers a policy map for bringing equity to the Gulf Coast. You can read the full report here. It's filled with stats and stories of inspirational New Orleanians who have worked day and night for two years to get back home and find hope.

Though we may have reached a milemarker, we must always remember this is the early stages of a very long marathon. It will take generational commitment and vision to truly complete a recovery that gives everyone an opportunity to succeed. For years, hope will need help.

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Posted at 2:20 PM, Aug 29, 2007 in Community Development
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