Without Affordable Homes, New Orleans Can't Recover (UPDATED, with BRAD PITT..ooohhhh)

Cross-posted on the Drum Major Institute's blog

The New York Times yesterday fronted an intimate look (and equally compelling video report) on the slow pace of housing recovery in New Orleans. As FEMA readies to evict thousands of low-income residents from their trailers and bulldozers warm up to demolish salvageable public housing, the reality is that very few families are able to find an affordable place to rent back in their home city.

UPDATE: As pointed out in the comments, rebuilding must not only be affordable, but environmentally sustainable. Check out this NYT piece on Brad Pitt's effort to "Build Green" in NOLA, and his "Make It Right" campaign site. Very cool.

"More than two years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is suffering from an acute shortage of housing that has nearly doubled the cost of rental units in the city, threatening the recovery of the region and the well-being of many residents who decided to return against the odds. Before the storm, more than half of the city’s population rented housing. Yet official attention to help revive the shattered rental home and apartment market has been scant." ("New Orleans Hurt by Acute Rental Shortage," Dec. 3, 2007)

My organization, PolicyLink, has been fighting for a fair and equitable housing policy on the ground in New Orleans since just after Katrina hit. It has been a struggle at every step. In a city that relied heavily on its affordable rental stock before the storm, the doubling of rents has left the poor unable to afford apartments – if they can find an open rental unit at all.

Though more than 82,000 rental units were damaged or destroyed in the storms, only 33,000 affordable rental units are on track to be rebuilt, according to our report "Bringing Louisiana Renters Home." Of those apartments even scheduled to be rebuilt, recovery is still slow moving. Very few units will actually be ready to house families being evicted from trailer parks or absorb former public housing residents, many of whom will watch their former apartments be demolished in two weeks.

There is no quick fix to the problem. But passing Sens. Mary Landieu and Chris Dodd’s "Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act" (Senate Bill 1668) would be a good start. Check out "When the Saints Go Marching In" to watch a powerful video on the housing crisis and to sign a petition to support the bill. As New Orleanians prepare for their third holiday season away from home, America owes them a chance to finally return.

•  I dont think they want NOLA to recover n/t

  by Goodbye Kitty on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 07:50:01 AM PDT

  •  This is not surprising...

    I'm about to post a new diary on why Ole Miss should not be a debate venue, but New Orleans should--and the agenda the Commission on Presidential Debates has which is why they rejected New Orleans. The diary will contain a link to this one.

    by Louisiana 1976 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:20:01 AM PDT

  •  Update to my above post...

    this diary has just been published.

    by Louisiana 1976 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:38:58 AM PDT

•  And affordable to own ...

  One of the (many) travesties of post-Katrina is that we (collectively) did not seize the opportunity (caused by crisis / disaster) to make the US Gulf Coast a model for 'green development' for the globe.  Now, the "affordable" housing should not just be affordable in terms of purchase or in terms of rent, but also affordable in terms of operating and ownership.  Building Green creates a more affordable Cost to Own -- for the individual and society.

  Sadly, not holding my breath, but still hoping for sensible building along the Gulf Coast.

  by A Siegel on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 07:54:51 AM PDT

  •  Brad Pitt is on it...

    It's easy to make fun of celebrities for poking their noses in policy debates, but Brad Pitt actually put $5 million of his own money and pressure behind the "Build Green" movement in NOLA. Check out this piece from yesterday's Guardian and visit Pitt's Make It Right campaign site.

    by PolicyLinkDan on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:04:50 AM PDT

    •  Pitt was in the NYTimes as well

      The Times has had excellent coverage on NOLA in general.
      I disagree with the requirement to raise the houses up to a certain level above future flood waters.  Shouldn't the city be able to look forward confidently to its levees not failing again?

      by NYFM on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:18:13 AM PDT

      •  Raised Houses

        Building on piers is part of the different architecture of NOLA.  The piers serve a purpose of raising houses enought to allow  "some" over topping of the levees.  The silt produced from the water conteracts the natural subsidence.  Only because the developers came in and built ranch houses because they were more profitable that NOLA is experiencing this problem.  Building codes need to be changed but the construction lobby will scream.

        by chigh on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:38:41 AM PDT

    •  how refreshing

      I'm usually very skeptical of this stuff but if you vouch that he's doing it right here, than bravo Brad Pitt. I'll have to rent "Fight Club" again...

      by DMIer on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:26:22 AM PDT

    •  Was aware, generally, of Pitt's efforts ...

      but thank you for the links / info.

      by A Siegel on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:29:09 AM PDT

    •  I have conflicted feelings about Pitt

      and Marsalis and Connick Jr. and their support for these architectural endeavors.

      On one hand it is fantastic that they care and are using their celebrity to bring attention and action to the important and crucial issue of housing in their beloved city. But their focus has been on new housing and frankly, there are some areas of the city (mostly outlying) that should not be built on anymore and returned to marshland.

      I do like that Pitt's group is working in the context of new, exciting designs and not historicist reproductions in areas that having no remaining fabric.

      That being said, the existing, historic fabric of NOLA is strong and unique and there are so many homes and other buildings that could be renovated and restored for move-in, keeping the special, irreplaceable design and spirit of the city alive. What may look to an untrained eye as a candidate for immediate demolition could easily be a beautifully restored Italianate shotgun.

      For the possibilities of restoration of damaged homes, take a look at the website of the Preservation Resource Center, a leading group in the restoration of the city through direct help to homeowners.

      Preservation Resource Center NOLA

      by Ripeness Is All on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:57:47 AM PDT

      •  It was my impression

        that the Musicians' Village supported by Connick and the Marsalis family is located in a lower-risk area.  I know it is pretty near the French Quarter, which we know survived very well.  The houses are built 5-1/2 feet off the ground.  

        I do see the need for the Village in order to keep as many musicians in the area as possible before they drift away permanently to other parts of the country.

        It will never be NOLA again without the music.

        by texasmom on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:05:31 AM PDT

        •  Indeed!

          It is ultimately people and spirit that make a neighborhood and the music needs to be played and enjoyed again from a front porch.

          I was mostly coming from a professional point of view that while new is needed in wiped out places like the Lower Ninth or the part of the Upper Ninth that the Musician's Village is in, focus should also be put on restoring exisiting housing instead of seeing blighted buildings as eyesores ready for the bulldozer. It's rare to find a building so bad off that it can't be restored in some way. And it is usually more cost-effective which is a very powerful argument in its favor.

          by Ripeness Is All on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:24:06 AM PDT

          •  I do agree with you there

            and believe that new construction will not replace the character and spirit of the original buildings.  Maybe this is where private initiative works best - each rehab will have its own unique problems and solutions.    I don't think that is something a bureaucracy will be able to handle.

            by texasmom on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:43:26 AM PDT

            •  Incentives

              The problem is clear title.  LA operates under the French law of forced heirship.  Families have owned the properties for over 7 generations.  Where do you start and who pays?  Personally, I have inherited several properties of which I am trying to clear title.  This is costing me money and time and then I have the expense of rennovation.  I do not want to go into debt, nor do I know what the future holds for NOLA.  The private sector  needs some type of incentive or maybe the plan is to just rot so the developers and politicians can benefit.

              by chigh on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:52:00 AM PDT

              •  Yea, I hear that

                Good old Napoleonic law.  My husband did his first year of law school at Loyola and I work with land titles - thankfully, not often in Louisiana!

                I wish you luck in clearing your title.  Do you have anyone helping you?

                by texasmom on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:59:21 AM PDT

                •  Family Dispute

                  My uncle got power of attorney after the death of my grandmother prior to Katrina.  My sister and I are requesting he now account for all assets, which I do believe he squandered so now we inherit the property for our portion. This consists of a shot gun double, one half which is ready to rent and the other side which requires major work.  In addition there was a "camp" in Slidell which is now just a peice of marsh, as Katrina blew the building away.  There was no insurance because this type of property was prohibitively expensive to insure, so you just took your chances.  Now of course, tax payers supplement insurance for the wealthy that build McMansion in vulnerable areas.  

                  by chigh on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 11:00:02 AM PDT

          •  Restoration

            The public housing is garden apartments made of plaster, concrete, stone and tile.  Products that just need to be washed down and rennovated.  They would make great housing for the people who make NOLA run (police, fire, teachers, hotels) and close to the downtown area so you can bike, walk or take bus. Muscian's Village is in the Upper 9 close to the river.  These areas would not have flooded in the houses except for the failure of the FEDERAL levees.  Some flooding is beneficial and is why houses are on piers and we all have white shrimp boots.

            by chigh on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:47:53 AM PDT

      •  Marshland

        You will have to convince Lakeview and Old Metairie that their basin property is worthless, then the rest of the metro area will cooperate.  Instead, the local government is trying to find all kinds of ways to accomodate these areas.  Pump to the river, steeped, terraced homes and chainwalls that require building code changes - instead of encouraging relocation via purchase of the thousands of undamaged homes that are for sale.

        by chigh on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:42:28 AM PDT

        •  Anything against the lake is a risk

          Lakeview is all but abandoned yet those homeowners are not demolishing, selling and moving on. They are resolutely stubborn in their inaction, which no doubt reflects their conflicted feelings about their (former?) city. No one in Old Metairie is hearing the worthless argument, you are right. Perhaps because they are white, they are given a pass and deference.

          Also among areas that probably do need to be released back to nature include the sliver of 1960s homes between I-10 and the lake, just east of the Industrial Canal, south of the lake airport: Seabrook. Problem is, it's an upper middle class black neighborhood and those are exactly the people we need to see come back to the area.

          by Ripeness Is All on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 10:04:21 AM PDT

          •  Cabildo

            Has a old map of all of the ridges, railways, canals, bayous and basins.  The rebuilding should be modeled on the "natural" lay of the land.  Lakeview and Old Metairie would be less vulnerable if they were required to build like the waterfront homes in Madisonville.  Old Metairie is already connected to a playground and golf course and could easily become green drainage space=water retention pond.  In fact, I read in the TP today that JP purchased apartments and they are forcing people out.  The vacant land will become part of a playground.  No housing, but playgrounds and using tax payers money to accomplish more homelessness.  I just dread Jindal coming into office.  

            by chigh on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 11:06:21 AM PDT

            •  What is the local buzz on Jindal?

              Every Katrina evacuee that I spoke with in the year after the storm blamed Blanco and Baton Rouge for the problems more than they did Nagin or the feds. I'm sure there's plenty of blame for everyone, however.

              But what is being anticipated with this new, young Republican governor? Is NOLA even on his map?

              by Ripeness Is All on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 11:32:21 AM PDT

              •  Baton Rouge

                He met with Bush yesterday, I assume to sell LA out of all of her natural resources (oil, gas, water, food).  He will move as much as he can get away with to Baton Rouge and turn NOLA into Disney land.  Blanco actually has an above 50% approval, so a lot of what you hear is propoganda repeated by idiots.  Look, the local governments were as much Katrina victims any any citizen.

                by chigh on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 12:47:54 PM PDT

                •  Thanks

                  I wondered how much of the Blanco hate was real or just repetition of what frustrated, disconnected people had heard through the grapevine and taken as gospel. Thanks for your response.

                  by Ripeness Is All on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 12:57:56 PM PDT

                  •  If you'd like to know more about....

                    the systematic effort by BushCo to place all the blame for Bush Administration failures during Katrina on Gov. Blanco--a spin machine which made Blanco extremely unpopular and caused her to decide not to run for re-election, resulting in regime change in Louisiana, see Louisiana's Relationship From Hell.

                    by Louisiana 1976 on Wed Dec 05, 2007 at 05:57:17 AM PDT

  •  Green and affordable

    You are so right about rebuilding Green.  The town in Kansas that was destroyed by a tornado is committed to rebuilding an entirely green community.  The Mayor is adamant about it which goes to show that without strong leadership, developers will rule.

    Affordable?  A friend of ours is going to build spec houses in one of the larger Nebraska communities.  He told us that they would be "low income" housing starting around the $100,000 level.  I was shocked.

    by JFinNe on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:36:41 AM PDT

    •  Green is still pricey but it pays off

      Unfortunately, all over construction costs have gone up a ton since the 2005 hurricanes and with a little help from this selfish Administration. I work a lot in east Texas and after Rita our construction bids were coming in at 30-50% higher than what was budgeted pre-Hurricanes. Materials prices are just universally high, copper is out the roof, concrete even is higher. Lumber has come down a bit, but old growth for restoration is still higher than what was considered normal. Restoration is seen, correctly, as green/sustainable building.

      [Three years ago I had one neighbor who melts PVC piping to get to the embedded copper. The local environmental control officers have been on him for years. Now he has two other cohorts. That is one toxic smell, but the prices for their efforts are growing that cottage industry.]

      Labor can be the same cost for green as with standard construction except in the case of special assemblies. Labor costs were still very high in NOLA a year ago, don't know what it is now locally.

      by Ripeness Is All on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:10:11 AM PDT

      •  Restoration

        The VA and Charity hospitals only flooded in the basements, yet they want to tear them down, sell the property, buy more property and build new.  That is not green/sustainable building, it is rape of the tax payers to the benefit of the crony construction industry.

        by chigh on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:55:43 AM PDT

        •  You're right

          It is amazing to me how quickly people want to tear down before pricing the cost-benefit analysis of restoration. Very little can't be restored, certainly these very solidly built hospitals can be.

          by Ripeness Is All on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 10:05:46 AM PDT

          •  Cost Benefit Analysis

            I do believe it was done and found to be cheaper to restore.  But, the crony crooks in the construction business do not make as much money.  The whole construction trade needs to be revamped with green incentives starting with the restoration of NOLA.

            by chigh on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 11:09:00 AM PDT

    •  Size

      You are talking town vs major city.  NOLA is like the tower of babel, everybody has their own agenda.

      by chigh on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:53:25 AM PDT

  •  Green Development

    NOLA has all of the natural resources (sun, river energy, water, fishing/hunting, easy growing gardens etc.) to lead the way.  Those of us who grew up in NOLA in the 50's and 60's remember how to conserve and live self sufficient.  Unlike other cities, NOLA did maintain local ownership of restaurants, groceries, farms, small businesses.  We need to start building on that and block the corporations.  The Vietnamese Community in NOLA east are building an urban farm.  

    by chigh on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:34:32 AM PDT

•  Recommended

  Thanks!

  In so many ways, New Orleans was the litmus test for the Bush Administration.  They have failed on every count, except where their cronies could exploit a vulnerable population.

  by bink on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 07:58:17 AM PDT

  •  I've come to believe

    Katrina was a litmus test for America.  One we haven't quite failed yet, but...

    It's going to take all of us, doing all that we can to bring back NOLA and the rest of the Gulf Coast. That's volunteering, contributing and  keeping this issue at the forefront of our national conscience until things are moving forward.

    What would have been the outcome if it had been Jacksonville or Savannah or Virginia Beach or Boston? OK, Boston is improbable, but would we as a nation have blamed the residents for living there and moved on?

    by texasmom on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:56:49 AM PDT

    •  Excellent point--

      that all the other cities you mentioned and their people would be treated better were they to be hit by hurrricanes, than has New Orleans. And I'll add that in the wake of such a disaster, were any of them to put in a bid to host a presidential debate, that city would be chosen as a debate venue for sure--unlike New Orleans which got screwed out of that chance.

      by Louisiana 1976 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 11:55:51 AM PDT

•  This is the Key Issue!!! n/t

  by serrano on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:22:11 AM PDT

•  Well, there are

  over 18,000 trailers sitting at the airport in Hope, Arkansas.

  by Spud1 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:22:41 AM PDT

•  There are so many empty housing units

  that could SO easily and relatively cheaply (more than demolishing and rebuilding) be renovated for low-income families all over the city. They just sit, gutted, boarded up (which just exasperates mold problems) and fenced in all across the city. It is a bloody shame. Especially since they were minimally damaged by the storm waters.

  Most of the housing that I refer to are solid, masonry-built buildings, townhomes and duplexes (side by side units) three stories each, in kind of an early American/colonial style, sited in a campus like setting with old growth trees and green spaces. They could so easily be fitted with new finishes and appliances and with some landscaping, really be a wonderful place to live. Most of them are within striking distance of downtown, not on the far outskirts of town.

  They could ressemble Stuyvesant Town in NYC, cheaper housing for all people in the heart of the city. Color of Change is on the case, but they need lots of support.

  Color of Change - Support Public Housing in NOLA

  by Ripeness Is All on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:33:09 AM PDT

  •  Excellent point--

    why are they letting this housing go to waste--unless they're doing so because they don't want people coming back?

    by Louisiana 1976 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:41:20 AM PDT

    •  Or a certain kind of people?

      Notice any patterns between New Orleans and Mississippi post-Katrina, or Sri Lanka and the Maldives post-tsunami? Reconstruction efforts are primarily focused on casinos and posh resorts for tourists, not housing or other social services for residents. In the Maldives the natives, who had fished the beaches for generations, were actually forbidden to rebuild on the beach; can't have them sullying the views from our eco-lodge balcony! New Orleans and Mississippi have effectively done the same. Shame.

      by Mother Mags on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:51:28 AM PDT

      •  I haven't decided it's overt racism

        I can't help but think mostly on the governmental level it's incompetence and a lack of focus or energy from the powers that be. Everyone likes to blame everyone else. It's not the city, it's the governor. No, it's the feds. No, it's FEMA. Etc. Everyone's pointing a finger and no one is turning that energy into proactivity - never a strong suit in that city before the storm.

        Restarting a city on all levels is no doubt an awesome job, but I think that most of the players (white and black) just would rather take care of what suits their immediate needs then put their heads in the sand for the rest. They must be content to hobble along on tourist dollars and volunteer effort because not much else is being done as far as I've been able to see.

        Not that there isn't racism involved on some level in some way, but seems it's mostly that the inmates are running the asylum.

        by Ripeness Is All on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:18:00 AM PDT

        •  Perhaps not so much racism

          as it is classism and private sector vs. public services. Just part of the Bush plan. Look what's happened to schools in New Orleans -- most charter now.

          by Mother Mags on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 10:50:02 AM PDT

        •  I'd like to think...

          were it truly incompetence, lack of focus, etc., on the part of government, wouldn't there be something being done to straighten the situation out? And attention played to the issue by the mainstream media? But there isn't...so there seems to be a deliberate design involved here....

          by Louisiana 1976 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 12:02:08 PM PDT

          •  It may be more

            institutionalized and accepted than any reasonable person would think possible. Plus a general post-storm malaise that's resulted in demoralization and apoplexy. Things were messy even before the storm. Strong leadership could help the situation at the local level, but certainly working with the state and the feds has proven difficult and perhaps now impossible with Jindal in the state house. Don't know how it's going to pan out.

            by Ripeness Is All on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 12:39:42 PM PDT

      •  That's an excellent...

        question....and I think the same sort of thing is behind the fact that New Orleans had been rejected as a debate venue by a commission that chose Ole Miss.

        by Louisiana 1976 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 11:59:49 AM PDT

•  A current Democrat candidate

  should really seize this opportunity to "demonstrate" the rebuilding of hopes and dreams as a society.  

  I know it sounds capitalistic but I don't mean it from a monetary standpoint I mean it from an American psyche standpoint.  We have become so robotic in our ways, so black and white in thought, so apathetic in our feelings and after only 7 years of Bush assault and battery.  

  Through the tragedy of the storm we realized that the current administration does not really care about the "people".  Do American people care about American people?

  Is Wii available at your Walmart?

  by Indy1776 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:43:17 AM PDT

  •  I'm a bit surprised...

    ...no Democrat has been able to hold up New Orleans as a symbol of the hopes of a nation. Some have tried, but haven't gotten the necessary media traction.

    Edwards began his campaign from the Lower Ninth. Obama and Hillary have both offered sound rebuilding plans. And, obviously, Dodd is an original sponsor of the crucial Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act.

    Maybe it's a by-product of the early primary geography. Perhaps the issue would get more traction if the early states were more prone to natural disasters (California, Florida, Alabama, Kansas etc.) or were faced more with urban poverty issues (New York, California, Illinois, etc.).

    by PolicyLinkDan on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:57:27 AM PDT

    •  I remember Edward's kickoff etc...

      and I think you are right about the geography in relation to early primary States.  But once the Democrat nominee is annointed he/she better campaign right from New Orleans.  

      It will be a daily reminder of the failure of this administration and the Republican party.  

      They would need to bring "Hope" to the American people that we can do two things at one time.  We can deal with international crisis and still handle domestic issues.  

      It will be a winning strategy that only a Democrat candidate could pull off!

      by Indy1776 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:59:39 AM PDT

      •  I'd like to be optimistic....

        and think something like that would work--but the MSM will then find something trivial that doesn't affect real Americans to focus on, like Edwards' haircuts, Hillary's "cackle," or what Obama's kindergarten teacher in Indonesia has to say about him....And guess what will happen to what the candidate has to say about New Orleans?

        by Louisiana 1976 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 12:08:56 PM PDT

        •  Yes it would get some trivialization

          from the msm but I still think that running a Presidential campaign from New Orleans has "winner" written all over it!  

          You wouldn't even need to talk about New Orleans all that much...just the daily visualization of the Bush/Republican incompetence would be the proverbial "a picture tells a thousand words"

          Would this be using New Orleans for political gain?  Yes.  But it would also help New Orleans - IMO!

          by Indy1776 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 02:52:17 PM PDT

          •  You're right....

            if a candidate does run his/her campaign from New Orleans, the MSM could not help but to pay attention to New Orleans--because with the candidate there, how can they ignore her? Unless they also don't cover the candidate, which would be wrong....

            by Louisiana 1976 on Wed Dec 05, 2007 at 06:02:19 AM PDT

    •  About the Democrats....

      who've tried but not been able to bring up New Orleans, they've been running up against a big brick wall: self-censorship by a corporate-run MSM doing the bidding of a BushCo that wants to keep New Orleans out of the news for obvious reasons. Early primary geography also plays a part--but combined with the other reason I've mentioned, there's the recipe for a news blackout on New Orleans.

      by Louisiana 1976 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 12:06:31 PM PDT

•  Housing projects being razed mid-December

  The demolition of all four major public housing developments has been set for mid-December

  by Goodbye Kitty on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 02:50:32 PM PDT