Motion Filed to Stop Katrina Evictions

[cal04]

Lawyers asked for a temporary restraining order Sunday to stop the evictions of 12,000 families left homeless by hurricanes Katrina and Rita from hotels across the nation on Monday. We have provided the court with statements from people showing they have not been treated fairly by FEMA," said Bill Quigley, an assistant dean of the Loyola University Law School, who with civil rights attorney Tracie Washington filed the motion.

The attorneys delivered the papers to the home of federal judge Stanley Duvall. It was not immediately clear when he would act on the motion. The 12,000 families made homeless by last year's storms are scheduled to be forced out of their federally funded hotel rooms Monday, the Federal Emergency Management Agencyannounced Saturday.

That amounts to about 40,000 people, Quigley said, many of whom have not received trailers as promised and some who did not find out about the eviction until the beginning of the month. "Under our reading of the judge's orders they should be allowed to stay until the beginning of March," Quigley said. "We think FEMA is just trying to clear the books and not taking a careful or compassionate look at these people."



more
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060212/ap_on_re_us/katrina_evacuees_hotels

[DeltaLady]

1. Ineptitude

and lack of coordination are impairing our efforts to rebuild. Housing costs in the area have skyrocketed as greed has set the new market standard. Add to that list those shrieking NIMBY as regards trailer placement and you conclude that those fortunate few who were relatively unscathed by Katrina should have been, and in a just world would have been. Let me detail a few specifics which will give you a taste of the obstacles they've set in our path to renewal and revival. This will give you some idea as to why so many are still languishing in hotels.

1)FEMA has warned us that we stand to lose coverage under the National Flood insurance program unless we raise our homes to comply with new elevation standards. Those "standards" have YET to be announced; they keep postponing the date when the "new guidelines" will be forthcoming. Some are rebuilding anyway, but for others like myself who sustained over 50% damage the choices are non starters. According to the City, per FEMA if you sustained over 50% damage you must comply with the new standards or bulldoze. (You cannot obtain the permits necessary to repair/rebuild.) Some are successfully (?) fighting their damage assessments by going to City Hall with photographic evidence that their structures are under the 50% margin. In turn, the City is being lenient in re accessing damages. This however could affect the homeowners long term ability to obtain the necessary flood insurance protection because if you are "below" the new standards, insurance prices will be calculated thusly. This in turn will force those brave souls into yet another "no win" situation where flood insurance is price prohibitive. In the meantime, those of us who are awaiting the new guidelines are in limbo with the clock ticking away. We have one year from the date of the disaster to comply - although compliance requires an ICC grant for funding to raise our homes and getting one requires yet another insurance company/FEMA dance with them approving initial funding then requiring inspections for the balance. The top grant is 30K, which, while sounding like a lot of money is not nearly enough to raise a house which is built on a slab - those estimates run to $100,000. or more! Luckily, some of us have homes which are on "raised" foundations. In the interim, the state has passed more building code requirements...so those of us following the "legal" route may in the end, not be able to rebuild at all.

2)Like thousands of others, I am awaiting a trailer. FEMA is completely aware of this and has done little to nothing. Why are they still here?

3)Promised federal monies have not materialized, not for the homeowners nor the City. While cleaning out my home (ha! moving out the trash) I saw a group of young people cleaning the "neutral ground" (grassy center of a divided street - I live on a Boulevard) and went to speak with them. The group of mostly former local college students (Xavier and SUNO) were unable to find jobs so were working "for the City" for $6. an hour. The problem, they explained, was that they had no idea when they would be paid as the City had no funds for their salaries. They were doing it FOR THEIR CITY, God bless them.

4)Developers have big ideas for the future of New Orleans. They dream of cash cows and white domination. Under the auspices of "non-profits" these thinly veiled opportunists (the bulk of their funding comes from a membership comprised of developers, real estate firms, banks and the like) have their own agenda which is at odds with what most citizens want. Some politicos have embraced their concepts for things like a "smaller footprint" for the city and an elevated rapid transit system. This is hogwash! We want New Orleans back and streetcars will do nicely. The last thing we need in a big ticket upgrade when most Orleanians don't have BASIC necessities, like housing.

I will wrap this up with a final nod to FEMA. For those of us who are "under insured," they are supposed to offer grants up to $26K (minus any other monies FEMA has doled out for emergency aid) for rebuilding assistance. Although my flood damage assessment is $132K and my insurance only $86K, myself and thousands like me have been told we don't qualify. This is not true! I have the page from the FEMA site which states that we are entitled. Everyone I have spoken to is receiving the same reply - "you were somewhat insured so make do." We are appealing, but I view it as yet another roadblock which is deliberate. I think they are hoping most haven't read the FEMA regulations and give up. I'd like to personally throttle one of them and I'm 57 years old and in poor health. To say I dislike them is to be kind. I DETEST them, all of them who are keeping myself, my neighbors and my city from recovering.

A pox on all their houses!

[antigone382]

9. Welcome to DU, DeltaLady.

And thank you for giving us an insider's perspective on the extent of the troubles going on down there. I knew things were bad, but you have pointed out just how ridiculously bad they are. I'm sorry that you have to go through all of this.

[DeltaLady]

10. I greatly appreciate your empathy

and genuine concern. Folks like yourself give us the support and encouragement we need to continue our fight to re-establish our homes and lives. I am heartsick for the families about to be without shelter come tomorrow; it is my prayer that the judge forces FEMA to extend their hotel accommodations until something resembling a compassionate solution is reached.

[rodeodance]

2. the feds do not go good at following thru!

[rodeodance]

3. somebdy needs to take Jr down to jackson sq. and remind him that

he said 'whatever it takes"!

[DemInDistress]

4. what happened to the 3 cruise ships brownie leased out for

double the cost of taking the cruise for 6 months? if those ships were going to sea with passengers it would have cost half the lease fee..who got rich off that deal?

[pitohui]

5. ha, did you know one of the cruise ships got loose last night?

the police officers living on the cruise ship are scheduled to be kicked off the day after mardi gras, march 1

last night the cruise ship actually got loose and went floating in the night before they caught it again

call me tinfoil but i think they are trying to give the police officers a little hint to find alternate housing

trouble is, there ain't no housing at a working man's price and police officers can't get overtime and make the extra $$$ because the city is too broke to pay overtime

as the poster above explained, even people w. insurance and property are not able to rebuiild because they can't get an answer on high they are going to be required to elevate their homes

it's a mess

i don't know if the cruise ship story is online, i'll go see

[pitohui]

6. try this linky

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-5/113972939822690.xml

More than 1,000 New Orleans police officers, their families, and other city workers using the Carnival ship Ecstasy for post-Katrina lodging faced a harrowing early morning ride Saturday when the ship broke free of its moorings at the Poland Avenue Wharf and spun out into the Mississippi River.

i'm serious if you didn't laugh, you'd cry, it's like a bad movie that just won't freakin end

[DemInDistress]

8. I didn't hear about the runaway ship lol..

thanks for the update..march 1 times up. wow but if this was iraq where 8.8 billion is gone, MIA, and no one was held accountable there would be housing for all the Katrina victims..

hello from a snow bound NYC where Mother Nature shocked and awed us BAD,.. 24 INCHES IN THE BX.

[EFerrari]

7. Good! I hope the order is given.

FEMA bastards.