[StBernard] LRA Reports $6.7 Billion Invested in State's Reconstruction So Far and Progress in Every Recovery Se

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Fri Aug 24 21:12:55 EDT 2007


LRA Reports $6.7 Billion Invested in State's Reconstruction So Far and Progress in Every Recovery Sector

Briefing Conducted at LSU Dental School, Which is Reopening Next Week



NEW ORLEANS (August 24, 2007) - About $6.7 billion in federal construction dollars have been invested in reconstructing Louisiana homes, schools and other infrastructure so far, with most of the dollars hitting the ground over the past year, according to the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA). The LRA reported on recovery progress today at a press conference at the LSU School of Dentistry, which will reopen its doors to students next week for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.

The LRA released a status update, "Moving Beyond Katrina and Rita: Recovery Data Indicators for Louisiana," that shows progress since the storms in all major sectors of the recovery, including housing, population return, infrastructure spending, debris removal and education. At the same time, it shows continuing challenges as Louisiana tackles the most complex rebuilding effort in American history.

"There are no models, no playbooks we can refer to. But there is progress all around us. We've reformed our New Orleans school system and our levee boards, distributed thousands of grants to homeowners and small businesses and adopted long-term plans for rebuilding. Much remains to be done, but we are making progress, and we're working with the Congressional leadership and the White House to ensure that our recovery remains a priority," said LRA Chairman Norman Francis.

Among the signs of progress:

* As of mid-August 2007, Louisiana has paid out more under the FEMA Public Assistance program than the program typically pays in all disasters in a year
* 10,861 rental units have been funded for repair or rebuilding projects through the LRA's rental programs in the affected areas.
* The number of FEMA trailers in Louisiana has declined from a high of 76,757 in July 2006 to 42,814 in August 2007
* Overall, the state of Louisiana has climbed back to within 3 percent of its pre-storm employment, although the greater New Orleans area was still down more than 101,000 jobs at the end of June 2007
* Statewide in 2006-07, Louisiana's higher education population was at almost 91 percent of pre-Katrina and Rita levels

The report also notes that the $116 billion committed by the federal government to respond to the 2005 disasters was distributed among 5 states-- Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Florida-in the aftermath of three disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.

Of this, it is estimated that federal commitments to Louisiana are roughly $60 billion. A substantial portion of this assistance was directed to flood insurance payments and emergency assistance and meeting short-term needs arising from the hurricanes, such as relocation assistance, emergency housing, and debris removal efforts. Thus far, $13.5 billion has been spent on flood insurance payments to Louisiana policyholders, and $19.3 billion has been spent on disaster relief.

Louisiana's share of actual federal reconstruction money for "bricks and sticks" rebuilding of permanent infrastructure is estimated to be $26 billion.
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"We've forced enough federal paperwork through the eye of the needle to invest $6.7 billion of our reconstruction and rebuilding funds thus far. We continue to ask for additional flexibility and the cutting of federal red tape as we invest the remaining $20 billion in construction funds that so this recovery can take off," LRA Executive Director Andy Kopplin said.

Of the $6.7 billion, more than $2.8 billion has gone to homeowners through the Road Home homeowner program, with the balance going to rental programs, levees, FEMA construction and rebuilding under the public assistance program, repair of roads and bridges and other infrastructure, and economic development.

* Click here to download the LRA's data indicators document. <http://lra.louisiana.gov/assets/twoyear/Indicators082107.pdf>
* Click here to download the LRA's Progress Report. <http://lra.louisiana.gov/assets/twoyear/LRAAugust2007ProgressReport.pdf>

In addition to the LRA report, LSU System President William Jenkins, LSU Health Sciences Center Chancellor Larry Hollier, Higher Education Commissioner Joseph E. Savoie and LSU Dental School Dean Eric Hovland commented on the reopening of LSU Dental School. They discussed its significance to New Orleans and the state of Louisiana and the status of the state's higher education recovery.

The LSU Dental School, which has been closed since its campus was devastated by the levee breach of 2005, will reopen next week.

After Hurricane Katrina, the school relocated to the LSU South Campus in Baton Rouge where it will maintain clinics on a permanent basis once the school completes the return to its home base.

"As many of you know, this building was literally pounded by rushing floodwaters that knocked down steel doors and concrete walls, flooding the basement, first floor and our power plant. After assessing the damage left behind by two weeks of floodwaters, no one would have blamed us if LSU had walked away from this structure," Jenkins said. "I was determined within hours after Katrina's winds subsided, however, that the LSU Dental School and our Health Science Center would return to New Orleans. I told our people: 'You're going home.' And we have."

The school is expecting 374 students to register next week, only a handful of students shy of the 380 enrolled prior to the hurricanes.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated South Louisiana, claiming 1,464 lives, destroying more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses. The Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) is the planning and coordinating body that was created in the aftermath of these storms by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to lead one of the most extensive rebuilding efforts in the world. The LRA is a 33-member body which is coordinating across jurisdictions, supporting community recovery and resurgence, ensuring integrity and effectiveness, and planning for the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana.

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