LOOK what Senators Dodd & Obama are doing!!!

[Sapphire Blue]

S. 1668: Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007

A bill to assist in providing affordable housing to those affected by the 2005 hurricanes.

Sponsor: Sen. Christopher Dodd

Cosponsors

Sen. Barbara Boxer
Sen. Sherrod Brown
Sen. Richard Durbin
Sen. John Kerry
Sen. Mary Landrieu
Sen. Barack Obama

Summary

The following summary is provided by the Congressional Research Service, which is a government entity that serves Congress and is run by the Library of Congress.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6/20/2007--Introduced.

Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007 - Requires the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to allow specified uses by Louisiana of certain funds under the Road Home Program.

Requires state reports, made public on the Internet, on each state grant program for household assistance programs funded with community development block grant (CDBG) disaster assistance.

Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to require Louisiana to make certain funds available for specified community development pilot programs in Orleans and other parishes.

Authorizes additional funds for the Road Home Program.

Permits a state or locality to use, as a matching requirement, share, or contribution for any other federal program, certain CDBG funds previously made available for disaster relief, long-term recovery, and infrastructure restoration in major disaster areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, Rita, or Wilma.

Authorizes appropriation to HUD, via FEMA, of certain Hurricane-related unobligated disaster relief funds to reimburse metropolitan cities and urban counties for amounts used to provide rental housing assistance to hurricane-evacuated families.

Directs the Secretary to provide for an independent survey of public housing residents of New Orleans about returning to a repaired public housing or comparable dwelling unit.

Sets a deadline for the Housing Authority of New Orleans (Authority) to make a certain number of dwelling units available for occupancy.

Grants a right of return to previous public housing households.

Prohibits the Authority from: (1) preventing such households from occupying a replacement dwelling unit, except as prohibited by federal law; or (2) demolishing or disposing of any public housing dwelling unit operated or administered by it (including any uninhabitable unit), except pursuant to a HUD-approved replacement plan.

Requires the Secretary to report to certain congressional committees on all public housing projects in the Katrina or Rita disaster areas for which plans exist to transfer ownership to other entities or agencies.

Authorizes appropriations for repair and rehabilitation of the Authority's public housing.

Extends through June 30, 2008, the HUD Disaster Voucher Program and the Secretary's authority to waive specified requirements related to section 8 rental assistance.

Provides for: (1) tenant replacement vouchers for all lost units; (2) voucher assistance for households receiving FEMA assistance, including residents of FEMA trailers; (3) voucher assistance for supportive housing; (4) waiver of limitations on project-basing of vouchers; (5) preservation of project-based housing assistance payments contracts for dwelling units damaged or destroyed; and (6) reimbursement to landlords for damages resulting from abrogation by FEMA of commitments entered into under the city lease program.

Prohibits the HUD Secretary from denying conveyance of property title to HUD and payment of hazard or flood insurance benefits in specified circumstances.

Establishes within HUD an FHA-New Orleans Homeownership Opportunities Initiative.

Authorizes appropriations for the fair housing initiatives program.

Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on methods of improving distribution of federal housing funds to assist states with hurricane recovery.

Commends the actions and efforts by individuals and organizations who contributed to the hurricane relief effort.


http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1668&tab=summary

***** Please support the Gulf Coast Recovery Bill of 2007 *****

***** Sign the petition at http://WhenTheSaints.org *****

It's been two years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast region, and still there are tens of thousands of families without homes. 30,000 families are scattered across the country in FEMA apartments, 13,000 are in trailers, and hardly any of the 77,000 rental units destroyed in New Orleans have been rebuilt. Support the Gulf Coast Recovery Bill of 2007 by signing the petition at WhenTheSaints.org.


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95XH7pTPg2U

[Mythsaje]

1. I just signed the petition and sent it to my wife...n/t

Kick and Recommend.

[Sapphire Blue]

2. Thank you, Mythsaje!

:hi: :hug:

[insanad]

33. Rebuild, but NOT in New Orleans

The August 2007 issue of National Geographic is very compelling and reflects the things I believe in the direction we should take toward rebuilding New Orleans. I highly recommend it for our lawmakers and those approving funding for this calamity.

My heart aches for those who lost everything, including their homes in the floods and hurricane in New Orleans and along the coast two years ago. The thing that keeps coming back again and again is the dilemma of whether we should keep rebuilding in such areas, especially given the natural history of flooding, hurricane damage, and lowland swamps. New Orleans has flooded 114 times in it's history as a city and before the french could even plant a flag to claim the swamp, they had to wait for the land to dry out some. The levees failed because of mans arrogance to think they could hold back nature and deny the inevitability of the Mississippi River to claim it's outlet. The seas surged in and flooded and destroyed homes built on unstable soil, in places below sea level, in virtual ponds that even a simple mind could predict the flow of water would easily inundate. The laws of nature are so much more powerful than our paltry pumps and levees and we are fools to keep trying to thwart the natural world.

I'm all for funding a rebuilding of homes and infrastructure, schools, roads, and more for those who lost everything in the aftermath of Katrina. I would donate time, money, energy, and my talents as an architect/draftsperson to helping develop affordable housing and well planned communities for those in need. I just think it's good money after bad to keep rebuilding in the swamps and lowlands. Why not invest in a clean, well planned, safe, worthwhile and very practical city north of New Orleans, still within some proximity to the old city, but where our money would make a difference rather than just be flushed away in the next inevitable flood. It seems heartless to suggest that the former city should not remain in place, but in a few years, those people would be united and happy in a place where they didn't fear flooding, didn't have to seek funding for yet another replacement, and didn't lose all that they invest and we invest in their homes.

The ability of humans to adapt is our defining characteristic. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again hoping for a different outcome. If we rebuild a new city for New Orleans the people will come and adapt and make it their own. The soul of the city is the people, not the ratty stinking tumble down buildings that they want to re inhabit. Their soul will color and make anyplace sing.

[KamaAina]

45. (sigh) And where, exactly, would this new city be?

We've been going through this for two solid years now. New Orleans is between the Mississippi on one side and Lake Pontchartrain on the other. Assuming this "new city" needs to be on the Mississippi with its huge port facilities, there's just not that much room upstream; the areas away from the river in, say, St. James Parish are every bit as swampy as those "back of town" in N.O.

This debate has been going on since the very beginning. The French wanted Bienville to found his city at the first point upstream where there was more than a sliver of dry land. This place is named after an Indian tribe whose name means "red stick" -- Baton Rouge.

[insanad]

85. Eating Crow

Today's anniversary has prompted me to look deeply into my bias's and niavity toward the New Orleans and Gulf Coast challenges. I spent some time looking on Google Earth at the city and it's surrounding landscape. My heart was filled with sadness at the devastation that is shown from a birds eye view, especially of the area in the lower 9th ward. The older parts of town seem to be fairly in tact as well as a large portion of the city on the northwest side of the river. I am not an expert in any of these matters and so my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt, but it seems there is much to salvage in greater New Orleans.

I design homes and one of my hobbies is to think of difficult parameters and try to design something functional, affordable, and realistic within those borders. I'm sure I'm not alone in this passion. I noticed the tight little row houses that are common in New Orleans and how they were situated on the lots, especially in the lower 9th ward were packed in next to each other in almost trailer like fashion. I also noticed that the location of this neighborhood makes it especially vulnerable for all kinds of challenges,including future flooding. The people that had homes here, whether they owned or rented have lost not just the home, but potentially the land that any new structure could be built on. Without land there is nothing to value in equity. It's such a difficult dilema.

Building the levees up seems to just make the situation more complex because then the homes are locked into an even more walled in pond. Building the houses up seems impractical, especially since many of the ones that broke off their foundations during the storm surge or winds of Katrina were just such houses. The engineering of any house not securely grounded is not cost efficient and does not seem practical or likely for a lower income area. There are ways to build homes that can withstand such disasters, but only a select few wealthy devotees can usually afford such extravagance.

You're right in that there are no easy answers. Americans are known for their ingenuity,creativity and ability to adapt. My mind whirls with ideas, some good and some prove to be silly,(floating anchored houseboats) but I am committed to come up with something that would be viable and realistic to help these people to reclaim their neighborhoods and lives, even if it has to be in a place somewhat removed from the city. I don't know the logistics, but there has to be a way for this fascinating culture and city to heal and prosper. I probably won't sleep well till I can put it down on paper, and then it's still a crap shoot to get anyone to take the ideas and run with them, but it sure beats whining and wringing my hands.

For my part, I offer my services as a designer/draftsperson to anyone needing to rebuild in this devastated area of New Orleans.

[KamaAina]

96. Crow po-boys and gumbo might not be too bad

people will put almost anything into gumbo out in rural La. :-)

The tight little row houses are called "shotguns". There's a reason they were built that way: most of New Orleans was built before air conditioning. In a shotgun, the kitchen (and the heat) is all they way in the back, while the living room (and patio) is out front, as cool as possible in that climate.

Another point about the levees: they can't be built too much higher, or they would begin to sink into the soupy ground under their own weight. (One reason New Orleans is such a low-rise city is that the technology to build skyscrapers on top of pilings driven into the muck didn't exist until the '70s.) In any case, the structures that failed were not levees but floodwalls, built along the various drainage canals.

The Lower Ninth Ward, and adjacent St. Bernard Parish (county), were hit by storm surge funneled right toward them by the ill-advised Mississippi River Gulf Outlet ("Mr. Go"). That's why there was more violent destruction in those areas than elsewhere, where floodwaters rose slowly, as in a river flood.

and then it's still a crap shoot to get anyone to take the ideas and run with them,

Hell, at this point, I'd take the odds at the craps tables at Harrah's casino! I've been throwing out everything I can since about the time people got back in to the city, and... well, I'm still here. Show me whatever you've got and I'll see who could use it.

[insanad]

97. Plans and Schemes, and half baked ideas

Wow, a response worth replying to! That's wonderful that you've stayed loyal and connected to the people of New Orleans. Today on the Las Vegas news they featured a woman with two children who relocated here and basically said her life here was far better than anything she could have had in New Orleans. While there might be some truth to her statement, it still doesn't address those who are still there and trying to remake their lives.

There seems to be a reality that no matter how difficult the circumstances, no matter how much it may not make sense to people outside the picture, "Things is what they is". If that's the case, then I say we make lemonaide out of those lemons.

Feel free to contact me through my e-mail of [e-mail] and I'd be happy to send in PDF format or fax or other means some sketches that could be utilized by those needing to rebuild. They are designed just as you mentioned, with the kitchen, bedrooms, etc. set up so that they funnel the air flow like a shotgun through the house, but also so that they can be built in tight rows, utilizing the existing property lines and setbacks. They don't have garages but I noticed that many of the houses lacked this and it's probably not considered an imperative necessity like it seems to be out west. They can be built individually, or as duplexes, with a shared plumbing wall that helps cut the costs of the construction down, as well as built back to back in groups of four. They could also be built in stacks as high as three stories, depending on the weight and soil compaction challenges in each area.

Density housing can work well in areas that have accessability to public transportation, economy construction practices, and simplicity in design and function. I noticed that many of the row houses have little more than a five ft. setback on each side, with a max of 10'between houses. This seems to keep light out of the alleys and makes them useless for any kind of garden, traffic, plantings, etc. as well as air flow and sunlight into the bedrooms. If the landowners were to combine shared walls with a 0 lotline buildup on the shared property line, and could coordinate the construction, it would allow for a 20' space between duplex style row houses, correcting all those issues I'd mentioned.

I realize this requires some complex zoning and coordination issues, but those issues can be directed if the greater good is to help people get functional and efficient housing. I'd be happy to send the sketch I worked up and work on any other concepts that may be viable for the people you serve. Let me know how I can help. It feels good to be heard and to think I can make a difference, even if it's only paper plans.
Thanks,
Dana Dahl

[flyarm]

3. wonderful..goling to sign it now!! thx!!!eom

[Sapphire Blue]

5. Thank you, flyarm!

:hi: :hug:

[saltpoint]

4. How odd. Dave Vitter's name doesn't appear to be among the cosponsors.

Also I don't see Trent Lott's name, or Thad Cochran -- two other Gulf coast senators whose constituents were impacted by those storms that summer.

But hey, Dave, Trent, and Thad are all Republicans, so we just can't realistically expect them to represent people in need. It would be blasphemous to their being GOP senators, after all.

Meanwhile, though, thank you to our Democrats for doing their job and helping the people that Bush abandoned.

[Raster]

6. Don't you mean those that bush* abandoned and LEFT TO DIE?

I think Katrina and bushco*'s heinous response to the tragedy pushed many good people over the edge.

[saltpoint]

7. "Abandoned" is pretty strong talk, I think.

I'm all for tough talk against this president. I applaud the office. I respect the office. All the more reason why I don't like George W. Bush disgracing the office.

To abandon is "to forsake; desert . . . To give up completely . . .a complete surrender... etc."

[Raster]

12. I think abandoned is the perfect word. To forsake, desert, etc. Yes, abandon is entirely correct.

I'll add a few more like deliberate, cold-blooded murder. We now know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that bush* was warned about the deadly situation about to unfold. No action was taken. They left people to die. This government even hindered rescue efforts, refused offered medical aid, and prohibited water and vital supplies from being brought in.

[AtomicKitten]

8. Assistance is long overdue.

I have signed this and passed it on to my email community.

K&R :)

[Sapphire Blue]

9. Thank you, AtomicKitten!

:hi: :hug:

[UrbScotty]

10. GASP - Shame on Obama!!!

Not.

Good for him.

Signed.

[Sapphire Blue]

11. ...

Thank you for signing, ih8thegop! :hi: :hug:

[FloridaJudy]

13. Signed, kicked and recommended

It only takes a few seconds.

:kick:

[Sapphire Blue]

17. Thank you, FloridaJudy!

:hi: :hug:

[Totally Committed]

14. Signed, recommended and passed on to all in my address book...

This is long overdue!

TC

[Sapphire Blue]

18. Thank you, Totally Committed!

:hi: :hug:

[alteredstate]

15. Signed, kicked, recommended and sent to my email list

Thanks for starting this thread!

[Sapphire Blue]

19. Thank you, alteredstate!

:hi: :hug:

[Grandrose]

16. Signed, recommended and kick!

If we can build bridges in Afganistan......!:think: :kick:

[Sapphire Blue]

20. Thank you, Grandrose!

:hi: :hug:

[Grandrose]

63. You are more than welcome!

:hi:

[juajen]

21. K & R

N/T

[Sapphire Blue]

24. Thanks, juajen!

:hi: :hug:

[ripple]

22. Signed- K&R

Thank you for posting this!

[Sapphire Blue]

25. Thank you, ripple!

:hi: :hug:

[Tellurian]

23. signed and kicked..

I sure hope they get the money they need to rebuild..

[Sapphire Blue]

26. Thank you, Tellurian!

:hi: :hug:

[Bongo Prophet]

27. This is a good start, thanks for bringing it to attention!

So much more needed, and it has to be comprehensive, coordinated and well run. Starting with immediate relief, but also flood protection, wetland renewal, etc - so we don't have recurrent problems. Then build based on current sustainable techniques, for the future. new Orleans could be a model 21st century showcase if done right....

Thanks Sapphire Blue!
(edit to add -petition signed)

[Sapphire Blue]

30. Thank you for signing, Bongo Prophet!

:hi: :hug:

[Totally Committed]

28. Kick

(already recommended)

TC

[Sapphire Blue]

31. Thanks again, Totally Committed!

:hi: :hug:

[beachmom]

29. Good to see Kerry's name a part of this, too. Thanks for the heads up. n/t

[Sapphire Blue]

32. Yes, it is, but we need to get more than these 6 senators to cosponsor this bill!

[Irishonly]

34. I Signed the Petition

I also sent the link to my address book.

[Sapphire Blue]

35. Thank you, Irishonly!

:hi: :hug:

[Lochloosa]

36. Done.

[Sapphire Blue]

39. Thank you, Lochloosa!

:hi: :hug:

[FrenchieCat]

37. Done Signed the petition!

[Sapphire Blue]

40. Thank you, FrenchieCat!

:hi: :hug:

[Catchawave]

38. K & R and

SIGNED !

:grouphug:

[Sapphire Blue]

41. Thank you, Catchawave!

:hi: :hug:

[Catchawave]

55. You're Welcome :)

:kick:

[CitizenLeft]

42. excellent

Thank you! And so glad to see that my senator signed on (Brown)!

:hi:

[Sapphire Blue]

46. I hope you've sent Senator Brown a 'Thank you'!

[nam78_two]

43. K&R.nt

[Sapphire Blue]

47. Thank you, nam78_two!

:hi: :hug:

[robinlynne]

44. Last night whenthesaints.org had an event herre in LA, and I'm sure in many

cities about this effort. People from new orleans spoke, and people working with this organization. It is the people of New Orleans who are doing it. It is really grassroots. They are extremely pissed at Obama, especially because he blocked the same bill last year, saying it didn't have the votes. They are traveling the country to get signatures for this bill. In addition, there will be a people's tribunal in new orleans starting today, and going through sunday. Sign this! They really need it!

[NanceGreggs]

48. Just signed ...

... and THANKS for posting!!!

:hi:

[Sapphire Blue]

50. Thank you, NanceGreggs!

:hi: :hug:

[NanceGreggs]

53. No, THANK YOU!!!

I'm always grateful that my fellow DUers keep us informed of how we can participate, and make our voices heard!

[JNelson6563]

49. K&R

This is why I am a Democrat! :toast:

Julie

[Sapphire Blue]

51. Thank you, JNelson6563!

:hi: :hug:

[Dawgs]

52. Signed, Kicked, and Recommended!!

Go Obama!!

[Sapphire Blue]

54. Thank you, Dawgs!

:hi: :hug:

[girl_interrupted]

56. Signed & Kick

[Sapphire Blue]

61. Thank you, girl_interrupted!

:hi: :hug:

[Melissa G]

57. done. n/t

[Sapphire Blue]

62. Thank you, Melissa G!

:hi: :hug:

[Melissa G]

80. You are most welcome.

Thank you for posting this. :hi: :hug:

[usregimechange]

58. Where is Clinton?

[earthlover]

86. Is she a Senator?

Then she could have co-sponsored this bill. I guess it wasn't on her table. Too busy doing other things.

[JDPriestly]

59. Better late than never.

This should have been one of the first priorities of the new Congress. I'm not blaming Obama and Dodd. At least they are doing something.

[xxqqqzme]

60. I hope someone put some pressure on landrieu to vote

more like a Democrat before her name was added to that co-sponsor list.

[girl_interrupted]

64. If The The Netherlands can rebuild, so can the Gulf Coast

Most of The The Netherlands is below sea level, in fact it is known as: "A land won from the sea". They suffered the greatest loss of life(over 50,000), due to flooding, before they decided to remedy the situation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands

We are spending all this money in Iraq, and yet we can't afford to rebuild this area? Rubbish! It can be done.

I also can't help but wonder why there isn't greater outrage about this. Look at the reaction to Don Imus' crude remark, which I don't condone, but compared to this? I just don't understand.

[annabanana]

65. Done, kicked, forwarded & recommended

How can anyone do less?

(sauntering off to my fax machine now)

[Sapphire Blue]

68. Thank you, annabanana!

:hi: :hug:

[McCamy Taylor]

66. Venice and Amsterdam are both treasures--just like NOLA.

If they can keep them high and dry, we can keep NOLA afloat. This problem is not going to be forgotten, no matter how much the GOP crosses its fingers and wishes, because everyone in the country has been to New Orleans and had a good time there and hopes to go back. This city is a national treasure and the nation needs to rebuild it.

[madmom]

67. So Boxer, Brown,Durbin,Kerry,&Landrieu get no credit?just Dodd & Obama?

[Sapphire Blue]

69. I didn't mean to slight anyone; I posted the presidential candidates' names in my subject line.

The other cosponsors are given credit & named in the OP.

You're more than welcome to post another thread that includes them all in the subject line. Anything that gets more signatures for this petition would be great!

[politicasista]

70. K&R

:kick:

[Sapphire Blue]

71. Thanks, politicasista!

:hi: :hug:

[jenmito]

72. Good for them! Signed, sealed, and delivered.

:hi: And now K&R, too!

[Sapphire Blue]

75. Thank you, jenmito!

:hi: :hug:

[LuckyLib]

73. Signed. The video with it is outstanding. Bless his heart, the 84 year old guy just wanting to

live in his gutted house. Every time I read or see anything about Katrina I get outraged all over again.

[Sapphire Blue]

76. Thank you, CLW! I think you're the first person to comment on the video... I hope others...

... are watching it. It really is outstanding! I posted it in the video forum, too.

[AikidoSoul]

74. Signed, and K & R'd! N/T

[Sapphire Blue]

77. Thank you, AikidoSoul! There are 11,665 signers now! There were 6 thousand-something this AM.

:hi: :hug:

[Divine Discontent]

78. done! n/t

[Sapphire Blue]

79. Thank you, themartyred!

:hi: :hug:

[Divine Discontent]

95. welcome!!! n/t

[illinoisprogressive]

81. supurb. both my senators are co sponsors.

[Sapphire Blue]

82. I hope you send them both a 'Thank you'!

[candymarl]

83. Dodd and Obama

Signed.

[Sapphire Blue]

84. And the other cosponsors... Boxer, Brown, Durbin, Kerry & Landrieu.

Thank you for signing, candymarl! :hi: :hug:

[vard28]

87. Thanks for posting this!

:kick: and passed on to LOADS of people! 'Bout damn time!

[Sapphire Blue]

89. Thank you for passing it on!

:hi: :hug:

[LeahD]

88. K, R & Signed. n/t

[Sapphire Blue]

90. Thank you, LeahD!

:hi: :hug:

[Pushed To The Left]

91. Signed it! n/t

[Sapphire Blue]

92. Thank you, Pushed To The Left!

:hi: :hug:

[JanusAscending]

93. Signed, sealed and delivered!!

GO BAMA, and Dodd, and especially John Kerry!!!

[Sapphire Blue]

94. Thank you, discerning christian!

:hi: :hug: That's a beautiful avatar!

[JanusAscending]

98. You're welcome Darlin'.............

I love my avatar too.............much to love about it, and wonder, "what might have been"??? However, "Barack Rocks"!!! Onward and upward, yes???:hi: :hug: