In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Congress passed one disaster recovery package with a special mission in mind. The bill was designed specifically to encourage developers to rebuild or create new affordable rental housing in the Gulf Coast. The plan worked: The 2005 act spurred millions of dollars in new investment in the recovery, creating or restoring tens of thousands of housing units for low-income families.
Congress hasn’t passed another similar disaster recovery bill since. Despite the damage wrought by Superstorm Sandy, efforts to put together the right grab-bag of tax incentives and community grants to rebuild affordably failed to materialize.
Now, twelve years after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma—and much deeper into a coast-to-coast affordability crisis—the nation has once again been smacked by three back-to-back hurricanes. Vulnerable families in Texas, Florida, and the U.S. territories face enormous housing needs. Congress has an imperative to act to make sure aid reaches them. Fortunately, there is a template to follow.
[For more on this story by KRISTON CAPPS, go to https://www.citylab.com/equity...ne-disasters/542016/]
Photo: Local residents ride a horse by a house wiped out by Hurricane Maria in Jayuya, Puerto Rico. Carlos Barria/Reuters
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