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
Tag: Hurricane Ike
Governor Perry must act to let hurricane victims move into apartments
More than half of 5,000 Galveston County families displaced by Hurricane Ike and given federal vouchers to rent homes orContinue Reading
Houston’s Tropical Storm Allison home repair debacle provides warning regarding Hurricane Ike funds
The State of Texas is considering turning over administrative responsibility for $1.3 billion in Hurricane Ike rebuilding funds to localContinue Reading
It is time to stop pretending the COG disaster housing rebuilding program is the answer
In Wednesday’s blog entry I reported on the performance of the Councils of Governments (COGs) in carrying out Round 1Continue Reading
Examining claims of local effectiveness in administration of housing disaster funds
There have been a lot of claims voiced by Councils of Governments (COGs), local officials and the Texas Office ofContinue Reading
Texas official in charge of disaster assistance refuses to state housing needs will be funded
I predicted the process for allocating funds set out in the draft ORCA Hurricane Ike/Dolly Disaster Plan will result inContinue Reading
Put an end to FEMA trailers by moving people quickly into permanent housing
She says it far better than I can. We shot this interview with a woman whose home suffered major damageContinue Reading
My suggestions for a Texas disaster housing program
In developing a plan to help Texas survivors of Hurricanes Ike and Dolly rebuild their homes I believe the startingContinue Reading
Existing statewide housing program should be the vehicle for assisting Hurricane Ike survivors
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) has received criticism from elected officials over the slow pace ofContinue Reading
Texas disaster recovery plan is based on bad data and faulty assumptions
Today I continue the analysis begun yesterday of the draft plan developed by the Texas Office of Rural Community AffairsContinue Reading
Texas disaster plan – an ill conceived pork barrel
Texas’ just released plan for $1.3 billion in federal Community Development Block Grant funds for Hurricanes Dolly and Ike failsContinue Reading
Galveston public housing conditions illustrate results of HUD’s failure to give a damn
I toured the three devastated public housing developments in Galveston this week and what I saw sickened, depressed and angeredContinue Reading
Is federal disaster assistance an entitlement?
The back-and-forth between the Texas governor and the US Secretary of Homeland Security over who will pay for the removalContinue Reading
Closer scrutiny will follow Texas expenditure of $1.3 billion in hurricane relief
HUD has allocated Texas $1.3 billion of the $2.1 billion in Community Development Block Grant funds that Congress has recentlyContinue Reading
Reforming FEMA alone won’t fix the problem
There are hopes that a structural reform and management reorganization of FEMA under the Obama Administration will solve the problemsContinue Reading
What’s with FEMA’s high denial rate of Galveston area requests for help?
Anger is widespread over the fact that people are still living in tents in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. DataContinue Reading
Houston Chronicle urges prioritizing rebuilding Galveston public housing
Amen! House poor Make restoring Galveston’s public housing a priority Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Nov. 10, 2008 More than threeContinue Reading
Texas State officials and FEMA in open war over Ike recovery
It sounds increasingly like open warfare has broken out between Texas officials and FEMA over the Hurricane Ike recovery efforts.Continue Reading
Louisiana extends its sympathies to Texas regarding FEMA
Our neighbors from Louisiana have offered some sympathy to Texas in the problems we have been experiencing with FEMA. HereContinue Reading
Confusion and delays plague temporary housing programs for Hurricane Ike survivors
I have been spending some time this week trying to understand the way the FEMA temporary housing assistance programs haveContinue Reading
A public housing advocate senses tide turning against Galvestion public housing rebuilding
Lenwood Johnson, Texas’ foremost public housing advocate, sent me an email this afternoon about the prospects for rebuilding public housingContinue Reading
Ike housing damages said to be $8.5 billion in Harris County; more than 1/2 of Houston apartments damaged
Two stories in today’s Houston Chronicle point to the staggering cost of housing damages. We are still waiting for theContinue Reading
Nearly 306,000 Ike damaged properties in Texas have been reviewed by FEMA inspectors
Five weeks after Hurricane Ike made landfall, state and federal financial assistance to help Texas homeowners, renters and businesses recoverContinue Reading
Homeowners rebuilding from Hurricane Ike have basically no consumer protection in Texas
Houston Mayor Bill White threw in the towel this week, ending his modest effort to provide rudimentary consumer protections toContinue Reading
Southeast Texas elected leaders demand temporary FEMA trailers despite health risks
Some local elected officials are downright furious with FEMA because FEMA will not put travel trailers on the property ofContinue Reading
Gov. Perry picks Eckels, Newby to lead Hurricane Ike recovery and coordination effort
Governor Perry has designated a former Harris County Judge and the Governor’s current chief of staff to “co-lead an effortContinue Reading
New Orleans de je vue in Galveston
Forrest Wilder’s Texas Observer Blog about high end housing construction on Galveston Island is well worth reading. There should beContinue Reading
Hurricane Ike emergency housing status
Some of the elements of the Hurricane Ike housing relief package have become know this week. Here is a reviewContinue Reading
FEMA rejects Mayor White’s request to allow Houston to begin immediate emergency housing repairs
Speaking about the need to take quick action to weatherproof houses damaged by Hurricane Ike, I earlier recommended a concernedContinue Reading
Lessons from Kartina and Rita about rebuilding permanent housing for low income hurricane survivors
We learned valuable lessons from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita about providing post-disaster housing assistance to low income families. This isContinue Reading