Half of New Orleans's Poor Permanently Displaced: Failure or Success?
By Bill Quigley
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Thursday 06 March 2008

Government reports confirm that half of the working poor, elderly and disabled who lived in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina have not returned. Because of critical shortages in low-cost housing, few now expect tens of thousands of poor and working people to ever be able to return home.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) reports Medicaid, medical assistance for aged, blind, disabled and low-wage working families, is down 46 percent from pre-Katrina levels. DHH reports before Katrina there were 134,249 people in New Orleans on Medicaid. February 2008 reports show participation down to 72,211 (a drop of 62,038 since Katrina). Medicaid is down dramatically in every category: by 50 percent for the aged, 53 percent for the blind, 48 percent for the disabled and 52 percent for children.

The Social Security Administration documents that fewer than half the elderly have returned. New Orleans was home to 37,805 retired workers who received Social Security before Katrina; now there are 18,940 - a 50 percent reduction. Before Katrina, there were 12,870 disabled workers receiving Social Security disability benefits in New Orleans, now there are 5,350 - that's 59 percent fewer. Before Katrina, there were 9,425 widowers in New Orleans receiving Social Security survivors benefits; now there are less than half that many - 4,140.

Children of working-class families have not returned. Public school enrollment in New Orleans was 66,372 before Katrina. Latest figures are 32,149 - a 52 percent reduction.

Public transit usage numbers are down 75 percent since Katrina. Prior to Katrina, there were frequently over 3 million rides per month. In January 2008, there were 732,000 rides. The Regional Transit Authority says the reduction reflects that New Orleans now has far fewer poorer, transit-dependent residents.

Figures from the Louisiana Department of Social Services show the number of families receiving food stamps in New Orleans has dropped from 46,551 in June 2005 to 22,768 in January 2008. Welfare numbers are also down. The Louisiana Families Independence Temporary Assistance Program was down from 5,764 recipients (mostly children) in July 2005 to 1,412 in the latest report.

While there are no precise figures on the racial breakdown of poor and working people who are still displaced, indications strongly suggest they are overwhelmingly African- American. The black population of New Orleans has plummeted by 57 percent, while white population fell 36 percent, according to census data. Areas that are fully recovering are more affluent and predominately white. New Orleans, which was 67 percent black before Katrina, is estimated to be no higher than 58 percent black now.

The reduction in poor and low-wage workers in New Orleans is no surprise to social workers. Don Everard, director of social service agency Hope House, says New Orleans is a much tougher town for poor people than before Katrina. "Housing costs a lot more and there is much less of it," says Everard. "The job market is also very unstable. The rise in wages after Katrina has mostly fallen backwards and people are not getting enough hours of work on a regular basis."

The displacement of tens of thousands of people is now expected to be permanent because there is both a current shortage of affordable housing and no plan to create affordable rental housing for tens of thousands of the displaced.

In the most blatant sign of government action to reduce the numbers of poor people in New Orleans, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is demolishing thousands of intact public housing apartments. HUD is spending nearly $1 billion with questionable developers to end up with much less affordable housing. Right after Katrina, HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson predicted New Orleans was "not going to be as black as it was for a long time, if ever again." He then worked to make that prediction true.

According to Policy Link, a national research institute, the crisis in affordable housing means barely two in five renters in Louisiana can return to affordable homes. In New Orleans, all the funds currently approved by HUD and other government agencies (not spent, only approved) for housing for low-income renters will only rebuild one-third of the pre-Katrina affordable rental housing stock.

Hope House sees 400 to 500 needy people a month. "Most of the people we see are working people facing eviction or utility cutoffs, or they are already homeless," reports Everard. The New Orleans homeless population has already doubled from pre-Katrina numbers to approximately 12,000 people. Everard noted that because of FEMA's recent announcement that it was closing 35,000 still-occupied trailers across the Gulf Coast, homelessness is likely to get a lot worse.

United Nations officials recently called for an immediate halt to the demolition of public housing in New Orleans, saying demolition is a violation of human rights and will force predominately black residents into homelessness. "The spiraling costs of private housing and rental units, and in particular the demolition of public housing, puts these communities in further distress, increasing poverty and homelessness," said a joint statement by UN experts in housing and minority issues. "We therefore call on the federal government and state and local authorities to immediately halt the demolition of public housing in New Orleans." Similar calls have been made by Senators Clinton and Obama. Despite these calls, the demolitions continue.

The rebuilding has gone as many planned. Right after Katrina, one wealthy businessman told The Wall Street Journal, "Those who want to see this city rebuilt want to see it done in a completely different way: demographically, geographically and politically." Elected officials, from national officials like President Bush and HUD Secretary Jackson to local city council members, who are presumably sleeping in their own beds, apparently concur. Policies put in place so far do not appear overly concerned about the tens of thousands of working poor, elderly and disabled who are not able to come home.

The political implications of a dramatic reduction in poor and working - mostly African-American - people in New Orleans are straightforward. The reduction directly helps Republicans, who have fought for years to reduce the impact of the overwhelmingly Democratic New Orleans on statewide politics in Louisiana. In the jargon of political experts, Louisiana, before Katrina, was a "pink state." The state went for Clinton twice and then for Bush twice, with US senators from each party. The forced relocation of hundreds of thousands, mostly lower-income and African-American, could alter the balance between the two major parties in Louisiana and also change the opportunities for black elected officials in New Orleans.

Given the political and governmental officials and policies in place now, one of the major casualties of Katrina will be the permanent displacement of tens of thousands of African-Americans, the working poor, their children, the elderly and the disabled.

Those who wanted a different New Orleans rebuilt probably see the concentrated displacement as a success. However, if the test of a society is how it treats its weakest and most vulnerable members, the aftermath of Katrina earns all of us a failing grade.

--------

Bill Quigley is a human rights lawyer and law professor at Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans. He can be reached at quigley77@gmail.com Interested persons can contact Hope House through Don Everard at deverard@bellsouth.net.


-------

Talk about a government failing it's people in a time of crisis, this is the second biggest failure of the Bush legacy

Well, the bleeding hearts always said there should be more done for the group referred to.... now that group is closer to those bleeding hearts, so now they have the chance to help them.

Don't blame Bush.... I live in Louisiana. It started locally and crumbled from there. Thank Kathleen Blanco....

And no, I don't support Bush either. I can comment because I lived/live it.

If Bush would have been on his job, like he should have been, even if the government locally failed, he could have intervened. He failed at this. Plus, he is prejudice so black folks are of no concern to him.

I find it interesting that the only thing people talk about concerning Katrina is New Orleans. Mississippi and Alabama were hit just as hard and you never hear a word about those areas. You also don't hear about the rest of Louisiana. Why do you suppose that is?

I don't think that the other affected regions are being forgotten. I think generally speaking the rest of the nation just umps them all together with New Orleans as the focal point. I also don't believe Bush is a racist but I do wish we would spend money that has gone to fight for another country to fight for our own people. JMO. It is VERY sad to me.

I have watched his body language when he sits in on meetings with black leaders and he is very irritated and unconcerned with what they are saying. He has the new southern form of racism and he shows it. He will never say anything incriminating but he shows it involutarily. I would not just say it, I have watched him closely.

New Orleans gets most of the publicity mainly because it is the most well known city of the areas hit.

I agree 100%. I too am from Louisiana and people who are not from here don't really get it. I also like the fact that everyone ignores Hurricane Rita. It was stronger than Katrina. I am from lake charles and our city was out of commission for a month. Cameron was way worse. 90% of everything in Cameron was destroyed. Did it get any news coverage? No.

Has noone considered that some people just don't want to go back to New Orleans after that? Its freaking below sea level.. **** happens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAk4k6PN5Vg

Rita vid

I think the chaxster prety much nailed it on the head there up there.

I must admit NO I DID NOT READ THE CRAP ABOVE, ive gotten used to your post and can prety much tell you what it says before reading it (thats how transparent it is).. javing said that, your assertions that Bush is now a racist, have made the fun and joy that I take from debating on the threads with you to a new LOW.

the absolute contempt that you show for this man shows thru with everything that you dare type. your out right craziness is baffling to me, and others Im sure.

you say he doesnt care for black folks,,, all he can do from DC is say, hey do you have what you need? If they say yes and bug off, then that is what he initially has to do. and to his credit, he only listened to that stupid chic govenor for two days before saying, she was stupid and heres the 82nd airborne div to help.

he is predjudices so black people are of no concern?????? right... you little missy have shown your TRUE colors. you want to talk about racism, look to your own party before throwing any rocks,, G-Dammit I would like to throw some of your own spit right back into your face right now, how stupid of a comment to say!!!!!!

I guess Brownie really did a hell of a job TO New Orleans.

if they are displaced

does that not make them someone else's poor

insert head scratching emoticon here

your talents never cease to amuse me...


oh and can anyone in the south clue me in on your new form of racism ....

You can say whatever you want. I know what I am talking about. I will not write that which is not true. So be mad all you like.

Baby shrub has earned all the bad marks I give him. I did not dislike him until he showed his true colors or lack of in this case.

So just be mad that he is what he is.

I am so glad to ammuse you Very sadly, it is a true problem here in the states. I have lived down there and I am ashamed of my white brethren there for the hatred they still perpetuate. It is more subtle now and underhanded versus the old in your face kind but it does not make it less dangerous or less effective.

But you did. You said Bush is racist. Now unless you are him or he has told you he is racist you can't really know that information can you.

That so called body language could just mean he is uncomfortable. I will admit that the gangsta acting black people make me a bit uncomfortable. They could be in a gang or not. Does that make me racist? No, cause I dont have a problem with any race. I personally have friends of all racial back grounds.

There is racial tension even if you are not racist because when you are white.. everyone assumes you are.

gangsta acting white people make me nervous too but that is not the point here. He cannot hide his distain for them. I have seen it. So you believe not, I will know that it is and that is that.

Those black leaders were in suits and ties and alot of them were reverends, how gangsta is that????

I still say its not truth because it is not proven to be true. I am also not saying its true that he is not racist. To my knowledge neither of these have been proven, and until they are they will never be truth. You can state that you believe he is racist and that the truth is you believe, but if you state its truth that he is racist than its just a lie.

Wise racists, never say how they feel publically. The only reason I know white racists so well is because I am white and have had them share their "wisdom" with me because they saw I was white and assumed to their detriment I was one of them. Having been around them I know them pretty much on sight. But they will never say it publically so if you are waiting for that you will follow many racists and not even know it.

I will say though, that he is not as bad with his racial prejudice as some are. So he is not the worse one I have seen. If that makes you feel any better.

You can defend you super human racistvision all you want. It still doesn't make it fact and doesn't make it truth. Maybe you should use your super vision to look in a dictionary to make sure you are using words properly.