A Congressional subcommittee will meet on Thursday to discuss the critical housing needs in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, chaired by Rep. Robert W. Ney (Ohio), will meet on Thursday at 10 a.m. in room 2128 of the Rayburn Building for a hearing.
Approximately 1.2 million people who receive some form of assistance for housing have been affected by Hurricane Katrina, including 40,000 people in New Orleans, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service,
“In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, federal, state and local governments now face the task of coordinating the relocation of thousands of individuals and families whose lives have been uprooted and homes have been lost,” Subcommittee Chairman Ney said. “While the recovery effort continues, we must begin to examine the range of short-and long-term housing issues that will need to be addressed in the weeks and months ahead.”
The housing relief efforts can be categorized into three areas: immediate or emergency housing response, semi-permanent or permanent housing solutions, and long-term reconstruction. A first step in addressing the needs of the hurricane survivors will be assessing the magnitude of the problem and evaluating the availability of existing housing units given that the rental vacancy rate in the U.S. is at a historically high level.
Scheduled to testify at Thursday’s hearing are:
- Henry A. Alvarez III, president and CEO, San Antonio Housing Authority, San Antonio, Texas, testifying on behalf of National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials;
- Sharon Daly, senior policy advisor, Catholic Charities USA;
- Kay Miller, president, The Miller Group, Shreveport, La., testifying on behalf of the Council for Affordable and Rural Housing;
- Michael F. Petri, president, P/R Mortgage & Investment Corp., Indianapolis, testifying as chairman, Mortgage Bankers Association;
- Nan P. Roman, president, National Alliance to End Homelessness;
- David Roberson, president and CEO, Cavalier Homes, Addison, Ala., testifying on behalf of Manufactured Housing Institute and Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform;
- Barbara Thompson, executive director, National Council of State Housing Agencies;
- David F. Wilson, home builder, Ketchum, Idaho, president, National Association of Home Builders;
- Clanton Beamon, executive director, Delta Housing Development Corp., Indianola, Miss., testifying on behalf of the National Rural Housing Coalition;
- Jeff Brodsky, president, National Multi Housing Council and National Leased Housing Association;
- Ellen Lee, deputy executive assistant for Neighborhood Development, City of New Orleans, testifying on behalf of the National Community Development Association;
- Judith Kennedy, president and CEO, National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders;
- Michelle Norris, senior vice president, American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.
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