and then the levee broke

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and then the levee broke

• Bringing New Orleans Back Post Katrina

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Bring New Orleans Back

• The City of New Orleans has experienced the most
  devastating disaster in U.S. history. Despite
  the dire circumstances of over a thousand lives
  lost, of tens of thousands of citizens displaced,
  and of over one hundred fifty thousand homes lost
  or damaged, there is a spirit that lives. This
  spirit will not allow our great City to die.
  This spirit knows that New Orleans can be a
  better place than it has ever been. This spirit
  will Bring New Orleans Back.

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Timeline

• Sunday, August 28 Mayor C. Ray Nagin calls for
  mandatory evacuation of the City of New Orleans
  and opens LA Superdome as shelter of last resort
• Monday, August 29 Category 4 Hurricane Katrina
  slams into the U.S. Gulf Coast devastating
  coastal and inland communities in Louisiana,
  Mississippi, and Alabama
• City largely survives with mostly wind damage
  to residential and commercial structures, power
  lines, trees and other greenery, minor street
  flooding

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and then the levee broke

• Tuesday, August 30 levee protection systems
  experienced 4 major breaches with an additional
  26 minor breaches causing mass flooding of 80 of
  City of New Orleans

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Housing Damage Estimates

• 74,861 housing units with less than 2 of
  floodwater
• 31,499 housing units with 2 to 4 of floodwater
• 108,731 housing units with over 4 of floodwater
  (50 of all households)
• 35,092 housing units receiving minor wind and/or
  flooding damage
• Repair costs 15,000 - 165,000 (based on type of
  unit, amount of damage, etc.)

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Insurance (FEMA data)

• Flood and Hazard
• 43,951 homeowners 1889 rental units
• Hazard Only
• 17,307 homeowners 2,927 rental units
• No Insurance
• 13,934 homeowners 106,176 rental units
• Average flood payout 105,000
• Average hazard payout 13,000

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Decisions, Decisions - Critical Long Term Issues

• Levees
• Minimum height of Category 3 protection
• Desired height of Category 5 protection
• Structurally sound
• Flood Plain Levels
• Last approved plan 1988 housing build prior
  to 1988 grandfathered in i.e., did not have to
  meet new flood plain levels
• Structures receiving gt50 value damage must be
  rebuilt to last approved level even if previously
  grandfathered in
• Coastal Restoration
• Wetlands serve as natural buffer for storm surge
• 2005 loss of coastal wetlands equivalent to
  projected loss through 2050
• Estimated cost of 14 billion
• Prohibition to rebuild
• Lowest areas - Use of land for other purposes
  (industrial parks, flood buffer zones, etc.)
• Infrastructure Restoration (energy, sewerage and
  water, etc.)
• Population
• Pre-Katrina approximately 485,000 (2000 census)
• January 2006 144,000
• September 2006 181,000
• September 2008 247,000

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In the MeantimePre-Katrina Vision Statement

• We envision building upon the unique cultural
  palette of New Orleans neighborhoods while
  welcoming new residents, new businesses and new
  ideas that support communities revitalized and
  thriving. We envision neighbors working together,
  nurtured by city government to build and sustain
  viable neighborhoods characterized by
• Diversity of income
• Mix of housing stack
• Access to economic opportunities
• Community engagement and involvement
• Community leadership
• Public safety
• Green space/common space
• Accessibility/ transportation
• Neighborhood conveniences
• Clean environment
• Quality schools
• Access to social and supportive services
• Opportunities for youth

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Where to Start - Critical Short Term Issues

• Initial focus on 8 dry zip codes (West Bank of
  Orleans parish and high ground along the path of
  the Mississippi River for repopulation
• Re-establish municipal services
• Public Safety (Police/Fire/EMS/911)
• Electricity
• Gas
• Water/Sewage
• Communications (Phone, etc.)
• Schools
• Trash and Debris Removal estimated 30 years of
  debris removal since storm
• Inspections/Demolition of Housing Units for
  Imminent Danger of Collapse
• Over 5000 units red tagged meaning dangerous to
  enter (not necessarily to be demolished)
• 118 properties slated for immediate demolition
  because of imminent danger of collapse or
  blocking public rights of way
• Balance between need for historic preservation
  and public safety
• Balance rights of property owners and public
  safety
• Temporary Housing
• Planning for Long Term Redevelopment, Rebuilding

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Planning for Long Term Redevelopment and
Rebuilding

• Coordination of Planning Efforts
• Federal Commission
• State Commission (LA Recovery Authority)
• City Commission (Bring New Orleans Back)
• Coordination of Resources
• Federal Funding (CDBG, Hazard Mitigation, FEMA)
• Private Funding/Philanthropy (Enterprise, Ford,
  Casey)
• Human Resources/Planning (ULI, APA, AIA, Smart
  Growth America, Volunteers)

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Temporary Housing

• Identification of large/small/individual tracts
  of land to accommodate FEMA travel trailers for
  up to 18 months
• Currently identified sites to accommodate over
  7,500 units
• NIMBY
• Focus on essential municipal services workers
• First Responders (Police/Fire/EMS)
• Health Care workers (hospitals, clinics)
• City Services (sanitation, sewerage and water)
• Focus on family support and business support
  services to facilitate rebuilding
• School Employees (facilitates families ability
  to return)
• Social Services supports (mental health,
  substance abuse, day care)
• Key industry employees (maritime, hospitality,
  etc.)
• Focus on homeowners whose property can
  accommodate trailers
• Availability of water, electricity, gas service,
  transportation, etc.
• 95 electricity available (vs. active)
• 86 gas available (vs. active)

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Permanent/Long Term Housing

• Rehab homeownership and rental properties
• Use of tax adjudicated properties (5 years) for
  non-profit and for-profit developers for the
  quick provision of permanent housing
• Use of expropriation and other tools to acquire
  large tracts of developable land for non-profit
  and for-profit developers for the quick provision
  of permanent housing
• Buyouts of homes for redevelopment where
  homeowners cannot or will not return (Baker Bill,
  etc.)

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Policy Issues in Housing Rehab and Development

• Design Standards
• Maintain architectural integrity of existing
  neighborhoods without creating cookie cutter or
  fake New Orleans communities
• Wind and water resistant materials to mitigate
  future loss
• Building code standards and enforcement
• Affordability
• Cost of special building materials
• Labor shortage
• Energy efficiency/green building
• Insurance premiums
• De-densification use of vacant land to create
  green space, expand lot sizes, etc.
• Rent controls/moratoria to ensure affordable
  housing and enable residents to return to the
  City
• Require an affordable component for any large
  scale redevelopment
• Include local non-profit organizations,
  contractors and businesses as much as possible in
  rebuilding efforts

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Social and Supportive Community Services

• Provide community centers within the defined 13
  planning districts
• Each center should include financial counseling,
  health clinics, city services and permitting,
  inspections, housing and family counseling
• Decentralize/House Community Services in
  Neighborhood Centers
• Work in partnership with non-profit
  organizations, businesses, faith-based
  organizations, financial institutions, and
  residents to build consensus on neighborhood
  redevelopment

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Economic Opportunities and Neighborhood
Conveniences

• Provide short-term housing for local workers
• Streamline permit and inspection process for
  neighborhood businesses
• Prioritize construction jobs for locals over
  outside contractors
• Consider green training and solutions to housing
  reconstruction, job training in demolition and
  deconstruction of salvageable materials, hazard
  mitigation, etc.

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Community Engagement and Involvement

• Create Virtual Neighborhoods and bulletin boards
  to reconnect community support systems and
  organizations, and provide vital information to
  residents. Include access to computer stations
  and technicians.
• Ensure communities have a vital role in the
  manner in which their neighborhoods are
  redeveloped
• Identify entities willing to donate time and
  services to enhance capacity of local nonprofits

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Cost Estimates

• 12 B housing rehab
• 700 M demolition and site remediation
• 413 public buildings
• 4.8 B public infrastructure (including rail)
• 5 M community planning
• 450 M public utilities
• Ongoing city operations - 650 M annual budget
  pre-Katrina

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Revenue Sources

• Community Development Block Grants
• Other Federal Departments (Commerce,
  Transportation, HHS, Education, etc.)
• Hazard Mitigation Grants
• National Flood Insurance Program
• Tax Credits
• Private Sector/Lenders
• Baker Bill/similar legislation
• Stafford Act
• Philanthropic Community
• Other

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Federal and State Agenda

• Hurricane and Flood Protection
• Lost Revenue Replacement
• Housing and Community Redevelopment
• Economic Development Incentives and Aid
• Transportation and Infrastructure Support
• Insurance Industry Controls

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Federal Commitments

• 29 Billion Dept. of Defense Bill
• 11.5 billion HUD block grants, with 6.2 billion
  to LA
• 2.9 billion to repair and strengthen levee
  structures
• 2.75 billion for transportation infrastructure
• 1.4 billion for military facilities, with 367
  million to VA
• 750 million for k-12 schools affected
• 350 million for NASA facilities
• 200 million for higher education
• 57 Million Hazard Mitigation
• Initial installment for repetitive flooded
  properties

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Local Housing and Community Development Agenda -
Housing

• Continue to identify temporary housing in concert
  w/ FEMA
• Provide grants and loans to homeowners and
  investors for gap financing (un- or
  under-insured) to make necessary repairs
• Provide replacement housing for
  homeowners/renters losing housing for safety,
  infeasibility, etc.
• Demolish structures in imminent danger of
  collapse for public safety and to facilitate new
  development
• Use existing tools (tax adjudication, blight
  designation, expropriation) to facilitate the
  assembly and disposition of land for small and
  large scale redevelopment

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Local Housing and Community Development Agenda -
Housing

• Encourage and provide financial incentives for
  public/private partnerships for large scale mixed
  income development
• Ensure the development of housing that addresses
  the needs of special populations (elderly,
  disabled, HIV/AIDS, homeless/supportive housing,
  etc.)
• Provide Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance
  for 1st time and other homebuyers
• Perform lead and mold mitigation activities
• Provide funds for CHDO capacity development and
  continuity

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Local Housing and Community Development Agenda
Economic Development

• Business Assistance Loans
• Infrastructure Improvements

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Local Housing and Community Development Agenda
Community Services

• Financial, Legal, and Fair Housing Counseling
• Information and Referral to Family Support
  Services
• Homeless Services
• Information Centers

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City of New Orleans

• Bringing New Orleans Back
• One House
• One Block
• One Neighborhood at a Time