PBS film documements role of race, class and politics in rebuilding hurricane damaged homes
Watch the trailer for the PBS Frontline film, “The Old Man and the Storm.” Several of President Bush’s top aidesContinue Reading
Watch the trailer for the PBS Frontline film, “The Old Man and the Storm.” Several of President Bush’s top aidesContinue Reading
More than half of 5,000 Galveston County families displaced by Hurricane Ike and given federal vouchers to rent homes orContinue Reading
The State of Texas is considering turning over administrative responsibility for $1.3 billion in Hurricane Ike rebuilding funds to localContinue Reading
In Wednesday’s blog entry I reported on the performance of the Councils of Governments (COGs) in carrying out Round 1Continue Reading
There have been a lot of claims voiced by Councils of Governments (COGs), local officials and the Texas Office ofContinue Reading
I predicted the process for allocating funds set out in the draft ORCA Hurricane Ike/Dolly Disaster Plan will result inContinue Reading
She says it far better than I can. We shot this interview with a woman whose home suffered major damageContinue Reading
In developing a plan to help Texas survivors of Hurricanes Ike and Dolly rebuild their homes I believe the startingContinue Reading
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) has received criticism from elected officials over the slow pace ofContinue Reading
Today I continue the analysis begun yesterday of the draft plan developed by the Texas Office of Rural Community AffairsContinue Reading
Texas’ just released plan for $1.3 billion in federal Community Development Block Grant funds for Hurricanes Dolly and Ike failsContinue Reading
I toured the three devastated public housing developments in Galveston this week and what I saw sickened, depressed and angeredContinue Reading
The back-and-forth between the Texas governor and the US Secretary of Homeland Security over who will pay for the removalContinue Reading
HUD has allocated Texas $1.3 billion of the $2.1 billion in Community Development Block Grant funds that Congress has recentlyContinue Reading
There are hopes that a structural reform and management reorganization of FEMA under the Obama Administration will solve the problemsContinue Reading
Anger is widespread over the fact that people are still living in tents in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. DataContinue Reading
Amen! House poor Make restoring Galveston’s public housing a priority Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Nov. 10, 2008 More than threeContinue Reading
It sounds increasingly like open warfare has broken out between Texas officials and FEMA over the Hurricane Ike recovery efforts.Continue Reading
Our neighbors from Louisiana have offered some sympathy to Texas in the problems we have been experiencing with FEMA. HereContinue Reading
I have been spending some time this week trying to understand the way the FEMA temporary housing assistance programs haveContinue Reading
Lenwood Johnson, Texas’ foremost public housing advocate, sent me an email this afternoon about the prospects for rebuilding public housingContinue Reading
Two stories in today’s Houston Chronicle point to the staggering cost of housing damages. We are still waiting for theContinue Reading
Five weeks after Hurricane Ike made landfall, state and federal financial assistance to help Texas homeowners, renters and businesses recoverContinue Reading
Houston Mayor Bill White threw in the towel this week, ending his modest effort to provide rudimentary consumer protections toContinue Reading
Some local elected officials are downright furious with FEMA because FEMA will not put travel trailers on the property ofContinue Reading
Governor Perry has designated a former Harris County Judge and the Governor’s current chief of staff to “co-lead an effortContinue Reading
Forrest Wilder’s Texas Observer Blog about high end housing construction on Galveston Island is well worth reading. There should beContinue Reading
Some of the elements of the Hurricane Ike housing relief package have become know this week. Here is a reviewContinue Reading
Speaking about the need to take quick action to weatherproof houses damaged by Hurricane Ike, I earlier recommended a concernedContinue Reading
We learned valuable lessons from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita about providing post-disaster housing assistance to low income families. This isContinue Reading