HUD Outlines Aggressive Plan to Bring Families Back to New Orleans' Public Housing
HUD News Release
NEW ORLEANS - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson today unveiled the agency's plan to accelerate the return of public housing families back to New Orleans.
The plan includes rehabilitating and reopening about 1,000 public housing units in the next 60 days, raising the value of HUD Disaster Vouchers, and redeveloping New Orleans public housing to bring better housing opportunities for families displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
There are currently about a 1,000 residents back in public housing units at Iberville, Guste, Fischer, River Garden (formerly St. Thomas) and Hendee Homes.
The plan announced today will accelerate the cleanup and repair of additional units at these developments, which will ultimately mean the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) reopening another 1,000 units by August.
Rehabilitating these units will give nearly half - of the 5,000 families displaced last August an opportunity to return to New Orleans.
Jackson also directed HANO to increase the Fair Market Rate (FMR) in New Orleans by 35 percent.
FMRs, which HUD sets annually for communities, determine how much a voucher is worth in local communities.
