[StBernard] LRA Progress Report - February 29, 2008

[Westley Annis]

In this issue:

*	Deadline extended for FEMA's Relocation Assistance Program
*	Barnes & Noble chair commits $20 million for housing in New Orleans
*	New Orleans population surpasses 300,000
*	Tulane opens baseball season at renovated stadium
*	Applications jump for New Orleans universities

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Deadline extended for FEMA's Relocation Assistance Program

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has extended its relocation assistance program to August 31, 2008. To date, 3,541 families have been helped with moving and transportation costs incurred as a result of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The relocation program was originally set to expire on February 29, 2008. Applicants displaced from their primary residence in a disaster-declared area as a result of hurricane Katrina or Rita are eligible for reimbursement of up to $4,000 in relocation expenses incurred between Aug. 29, 2005 and August 31, 2008. 

For more information on FEMA's Relocation Assistance program or to request reimbursement of relocation expenses, call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) (TTY: 1-800-462-7585). 

Barnes & Noble chair commits $20 million for housing in New Orleans

The chairman of the U.S.'s largest bookseller, New Orleans officials and other recovery leaders participated Tuesday in a ceremonial groundbreaking for a $20 million housing initiative. Barnes & Noble Chairman Leonard Riggio is funding the expansive project to build new houses for residents displaced by the storm 2 1/2 years ago, focusing on the Gentilly neighborhood.

"Project Home Again," a plan to build 20 new, elevated houses for lower-income families, is believed to be the largest single philanthropic project in the city since Hurricane Katrina. Under the plan, Gentilly residents who lived in the racially diverse, mixed-income neighborhood at least two years before Katrina and who still own property there would swap their uninhabitable, storm-damaged homes or empty lots for new houses. Those famil! ies then would get forgivable mortgages, over five years, before owning the new houses outright.

Officials hope to begin construction as early as this spring and complete work on the homes within a year. Riggio said he and his wife, after seeing the devastation wrought by Katrina, felt that citizens had a responsibility to reach out and help those affected. Their goal was not just to build one scattered house at a time but to build community. 

New Orleans population surpasses 300,000

A new report shows New Orleans' population has crossed the 300,000 mark. GCR & Associates estimate that the city's population was 302,191 as of February 1, 2008. That's a 43,000 person increase over the February 2007 population. GCR & Associates based its estimate on utility hookups. Demographers for the firm say about 2,000 people are moving back to the city each month. That compares to an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 people the city gained each month during most of last year. In July 2005, New Orleans' population was about 455,000 residents. Exceeding 300,000 residents restores New Orleans to a cohort of major cities, including Pittsburgh, Tampa, Anaheim and St. Louis. 

*	For more about GCR & Associates, visit http://www.gcrprofessional.com/ <http://www.gcrprofessional.com/> . 

Tulane opens baseball season at renovated stadium

Nearly two and a half years after beginning an overhaul of Turchin Stadium, the Green Wave opened its season Friday, February 22, with a three-game series against Illinois-Chicago in the new Greer Field at Turchin Stadium. The Times-Picayune reports that the $10.5 million, 5,000-seat stadium sits on the same site as the former stadium. Upgrades include four plush suites, a new press box, a state-of-the -art Public Address system, a computerized video board over the left-field wall, padded outfield walls and the same type of artificial playing surface used in the Superdome. 

*	For more about Tulane Athletics, visit http://tulanegreenwave.cstv.com/ <http://tulanegreenwave.cstv.com/> . 

Applications jump for universities in New Orleans

New Orleans' colleges are reporting a surge in applicants for academic year 2008-2009. Compared to this time last year, Loyola has received up to 24 percent more applications, Xavier University is up 28 percent and Our Lady of Holy Cross College increased 43 percent. Applications to the University of New Orleans are up 85 percent and Tulane University has seen a nearly 100 percent increase and has stopped accepting applications. Officials say the high number is partially attributed by high school students who helped with the hurricane recovery effort and want to return for classes. While it's hard to say for sure how the number of applications will translate to the number of students showing up in August, admissions officials say the interest in their schools represents a big step forward in the continuing recovery from Hurricane Katrina! 2 1/2 years ago. 

For more information about universities in New Orleans visit: 

*	Loyola University: http://www.loyno.edu/ <http://www.loyno.edu/>  
*	Xavier University: http://www.xula.edu/ <http://www.xula.edu/>  
*	Our Lady of Holy Cross College: http://www.olhcc.edu/ <http://www.olhcc.edu/>  
*	University of New Orleans: http://www.uno.edu/ <http://www.uno.edu/>  
*	Tulane University: http://tulane.edu/ <http://tulane.edu/>  
	

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 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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