Despite a Senate report that recommended FEMA be dismantled and replaced, the troubled agency is still "holding the purse strings" on recovery in New Orleans, and tens of thousands of residents may be cut off from rental assistance monies next month.
"The People's Hurricane Relief Fund & Oversight Coalition, a local grassroots advocacy organization...is organizing nationwide protests at FEMA offices around May 15 in response to reports that rental assistance to up to 50,000 people could be cut off June 1. City governments in Houston, Memphis, and elsewhere told The New York Times that FEMA had promised these families vouchers for a full year following the storm.
There is no large-scale or integrated proposal for affordable housing. The 'Road Home' housing plan approved April 26 by the Louisiana Recovery Authority includes up to $150,000 for repairing or relocating, a reasonable assessment. But the incentives are for homeowners and landlords onlyâ€"no assistance for the renters who are slightly over half of the city. Funding for the plan comes from the $4.2 billion in a supplemental federal budget request currently awaiting approval by the Senate. The Senate bill does include an additional $1 billion to repair affordable rental stock, including public housing, but HUD has the authority to waive the requirement that this money be used for low-income housing.
The reality is, when it comes to the next round of decisions about rebuilding and repopulation, the window of opportunity may be soon closing for New Orleans's exiled working-class African-Americans."
FULL STORY: Katrina's Legacy

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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