Of the tens of thousands of people displaced from NO, how many of them will choose to go back to that city? For the people who want to leave NO permanently, how will we handle the housing situation for them? It is possible that many of the victims will not have flood insurance. Should the government or private charities work on building them permanent housing somewhere in Texas?
if i were prez- subsidized jobs and homes for each family affected. they work to help relief efforts, improving their impoversished communities and putting money in their pockets, shelter over their heads
Should the victims have a choice in where they want to go? Should they rebuild around NO or stay in Houston and Dallas?
Let me preface this by saying I am certainly no authority on the subject of housing. But whatever we do, I beleive that we should encourage mixed housing of high-end and low-end. If you build an upscale housing development, there should be options of lower income people mixed directly in. But America has little tolerance for something like that. As a side note: I read in the Chron a day or two ago that Govenor Perry has somehow earmarked 15,000 rental units in Texas for streamlined application process of housing assistance. Also in the Chron this morning was an article about the rental space analysis in Houston. Apparently most of the available units are getting snatched up by corporations finding housing for displaced employees. The remaining folks will have a harder time finding availabilities.
This is true I have family members who needed housing because of Katrina. We went to many apartment complexes and they were all saying sorry this corporation just got the last 30 units. This happened to us at 5 complexes.
That is certainly ideal. In order to properly integrate a lower income population into a city, you need not only housing and jobs, but also a viable public transportation system (since many of them didn't have cars to begin with, and those with cars probably lost them in the flood). Which city is best equipped to house these people?
I agree and have been thinking that we're going to need something like the New Deal to get the affected region back on its feet. I'm generally more of a deficit hawk but this is certainly an area where government spending is going to be required.
As bad as this situation is though one positive it offers is the possibility of rebuilding the devestated cities and towns with better planning to minimize sprawl and maximize access from housing to employment and retail opportunities.
