TALKING POINTS: Katrina One Year Anniversary

Discriminatory policies have made it difficult for Katrina Evacuees to have equal access to opportunity.

• Only 5.4% of the $3.7 billion in FEMA funds have been spent on contracts with Louisiana companies, taking many of the jobs and much of the economic boom associated with opportunity out of the hands of Katrina Survivors.

• Minority owned businesses experienced exceptional hardship, because they were being passed over for reconstruction work by FEMA until October of 2005, when Congress stepped in and questioned FEMA.. Minority owned businesses in the gulf coast region attributed $3.3 billion to the economy before Katrina hit.

Women in particular are experiencing hardship and a lack of opportunity. Many women’s organizations have become involved in advocating for Katrina survivors and evacuees. Do women have equal access to good paying jobs and health care? Why might women have been less able to leave New Orleans before the hurricanes hit?

• Prior to the hurricane, 25.9% of women in New Orleans lived in poverty
• Female-headed families with children under 18 account for more than half of all families in the gulf coast region, twice the national average
• A much larger percentage of female-headed families live below the poverty line than marriage headed households
• Of the 180,000 person civilian workforce lost after Katrina, 103,000 were women
• Even if women in the gulf coast region could find employment, there is little to no resources for childcare assistance

Women are often the caretakers of children and elderly. There was a large group of female headed householders in New Orleans. What are women’s organizations doing to help Katrina survivors and evacuees get the help they need? Why were women in particular experiencing poverty before Katrina and why are they still experiencing hardship now? How can public institutions be used to ensure equal access to opportunity for all?

"The Human Tragedy Inflicted on the Gulf Coast"

Workers who stayed in New Orleans or have returned, as well as migrant workers who have come to the gulf region to help rebuild, are experiencing discrimination and hardship.

• The federal government suspended the Davis Bacon Act for the post Katrin reconstruction, which assures a prevailing wage, until November 7, 2005. All contracts awarded at that time are not subject to prevailing wage, and any subcontracts, even if they are negotiated thereafter and executed at any time, will not be subject to the Davis Bacon Act
• Lawsuits have been filed against two large contractors for not paying migrant workers their earned wages
• There is a lack of efficient oversight and accountability of the contract work in the gulf coast states
• A survey of immigrant workers conducted by Tulane University and University of California, Berkeley, revealed that many workers are not being given the safety equipment or training they need to perform dangerous tasks like removing toxic substances and mold
• Some workers do not have hardhats, safety goggles or harnesses

The State of Opportunity for Workers Repairing the Gulf by Opportunity Agendaw

Affordable Housing was an issue before Katrina and Rita hit land, but now it is a crisis.

• 67% of the city’s extremely low-income households dealt with housing costs that exceeded 30% of the household heads’ incomes in 2000
• 56% of very-low-income households used more than half of their incomes to pay for housing
• Rental space is now scarce, yet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a plan to demolish over 5,000 public housing units in New Orleans. Most of the public housing in New Orleans was occupied prior to Katrina by working women, their children, the elderly, and the disabled.
• On June 27, 2006, a lawsuit was filed against the Housing Authority of New Orleans and HUD on behalf of public housing residents to block the demolition of the 5,000 units and mandate HUD to quickly reopen this source of affordable housing.
• One question is: Will the United States remain as committed to human rights nationally as we are internationally, especially concerning internally displaced people?

Without access to living wage jobs, affordable housing and better opportunities, it will be impossible for Katrina survivors to rebuild their lives. Katrina survivors need basic public services to be reinstalled as soon as possible!

In New Orleans, ONLY:

• 18% of public schools have reopened.
• 21% of child-care centers have reopened.
• 17% of public buses are operational
• 60% of homes have electricity service.
  

Housing: Welcoming Katrina's Victims Back Home

A lack of opportunity for advancement in life has left many hopeless.

The mental state of Katrina survivors in New Orleans is exacerbated by the lack of opportunity for employment, medical care, insurance payments from the federal government, basic human services, basic public services and clear progress toward a rebuilt New Orleans.

• Depression is sweeping across the city, where many people have lost their homes and lack access to health care.
• Mortality rates have jumped 25% and the suicide rate has increased threefold in New Orleans.
• There is little to no access to mental healthcare currently in the City of New Orleans.

Is New Orleans Having a Mental Health Breakdown?

Many people in New Orleans initially had a sense of hope for rebuilding their city, but this feeling has dwindled to despair over time as opportunities for employment and health services have not manifested.

How can we create a more inclusive and just society with equal access to opportunity for all?