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Half New Orleans Poor Permanently Displaced: Failure or Success?
Government reports confirm that half of the working poor, elderly and disabled who lived in New Orleans before Katrina have not returned. Because of critical shortages in low cost housing, few now expect tens of thousands of poor and working people to ever be able to return home.
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) reports Medicaid, medical assistance for aged, blind, disabled and low-wage working families, is down 46% from pre-Katrina levels. DHH reports before Katrina there were 134,249 people in New Orleans on Medicaid. February 2008 reports show participation down to 72,211 (a loss of 62,038 since Katrina). Medicaid is down dramatically in every category: by 50% for the aged, 53% for blind, 48% for the disabled and 52% for children.
The Social Security Administration documents that fewer than half the elderly are back. New Orleans was home to 37,805 retired workers who received Social Security before Katrina, now there are 18,940 - a 50% reduction. Before Katrina, there were 12,870 disabled workers receiving Social Security Disability in New Orleans, now there are 5350 - 59% less. Before there were 9425 widowers in New Orleans receiving Social Security survivor's benefits, now there are less than half, 4140.
Children of working class families have not returned. Public school enrollment in New Orleans was 66,372 before Katrina. Latest figures are 32,149 - a 52% reduction.
Public transit numbers are down 75% since Katrina. Prior to Katrina there were frequently over 3 million rides per month. In January 2008, there were 732,000 rides. The Regional Transit Authority says the reduction reflects that New Orleans has far fewer poorer, transit dependent residents.
Figures from the Louisiana Department of Social Services show the number of families receiving food stamps in New Orleans has dropped from 46,551 in June of 2005 to 22,768 in January 2008. Welfare numbers are also down. The Louisiana Families Independence Temporary Assistance Program was down from 5764 recipients (mostly children) in July 2005 to 1412 in the latest report.
While there are no precise figures on the racial breakdown of the poor and working people still displaced, indications strongly suggest they are overwhelmingly African American. The black population of New Orleans has plummeted by 57 percent, while white population fell 36 percent, according to census data. The areas which are fully recovering are more affluent and predominately white. New Orleans, which was 67 percent black before Katrina, is estimated to be no higher than 58 percent black now.
The reduction in poor and low-wage workers in New Orleans is no surprise to social workers. Don Everard, director of social service agency Hope House, says New Orleans is a much tougher town for poor people than before Katrina. "Housing costs a lot more and there is much less of it," says Everard. "The job market is also very unstable. The rise in wages after Katrina has mostly fallen backwards and people are not getting enough hours of work on a regular basis."
The displacement of tens of thousands of people is now expected to be permanent because there is both a current shortage of affordable housing and no plan to create affordable rental housing for tens of thousands of the displaced.
In the most blatant sign of government action to reduce the numbers of poor people in New Orleans, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is demolishing thousands of intact public housing apartments. HUD is spending nearly a billion dollars with questionable developers to end up with much less affordable housing. Right after Katrina, HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson predicted New Orleans was "not going to be as black as it was for a long time, if ever again." He then worked to make that prediction true.
According to Policy Link, a national research institute, the crisis in affordable housing means barely 2 in 5 renters in Louisiana can return to affordable homes. In New Orleans, all the funds currently approved by HUD and other government agencies (not spent, only approved) for housing for low-income renters will only rebuild one-third of the pre-Katrina affordable rental housing stock.
Hope House sees four to five hundred needy people a month. "Most of the people we see are working people facing eviction, utility cutoffs, or they are already homeless" reports Everard. The New Orleans homeless population has already doubled from pre-Katrina numbers to approximately 12,000 people.
Everard noted that because of FEMA's recent announcement that it was closing 35,000 still occupied trailers across the gulf, homelessness is likely to get a lot worse.
United Nations officials recently called for an immediate halt to the demolitions of public housing in New Orleans saying demolition is a violation of human rights and will force predominately black residents into homelessness. "The spiraling costs of private housing and rental units, and in particular the demolition of public housing, puts these communities in further distress, increasing poverty and homelessness," said a joint statement by UN experts in housing and minority issues. "We therefore call on the Federal Government and State and local authorities to immediately halt the demolitions of public housing in New Orleans." Similar calls have been made by Senators Clinton and Obama. Despite these calls, the demolitions continue.
The rebuilding has gone as many planned. Right after Katrina, one wealthy businessman told the Wall Street Journal, "Those who want to see this city rebuilt want to see it done in a completely different way: demographically, geographically and politically." Elected officials, from national officials like President Bush and HUD Secretary Jackson to local city council members, who are presumably sleeping in their own beds, apparently concur. Policies put in place so far do not appear overly concerned about the tens of thousands of working poor, the elderly and the disabled who are not able to come home.
The political implications of a dramatic reduction in poor and working mostly African American people in New Orleans are straightforward. The reduction directly helps Republicans who have fought for years to reduce the impact of the overwhelmingly Democratic New Orleans on state-wide politics in Louisiana. In the jargon of political experts, Louisiana, before Katrina, was a "pink state." The state went for Clinton twice and then for Bush twice, with U.S. Senators from each party. The forced relocation of hundreds of thousands, mostly lower income and African-American, could alter the balance between the two major parties in Louisiana and the opportunities for black elected officials in New Orleans.
Given the political and governmental officials and policies in place now, one of the major casualties of Katrina will be the permanent displacement of tens of thousands of African Americans, the working poor, their children, the elderly, and the disabled.
Those who wanted a different New Orleans rebuilt probably see the concentrated displacement as a success. However, if the test of a society is how it treats its weakest and most vulnerable members, the aftermath of Katrina earns all of us a failing grade.
42 Comments so far
Show AllKatrina alone marks a huge blemish on Bush and the world is aghast because there are rumors that Bush caused the floods and hurricanes and what with what's going on there displacing people from their homes(and even if their home was for the poor, it was home), it's clear that upscale homes and an increase in property values was the intention. Maybe instead of criticizing America, other countries maybe should be aware that their land could also be up for grabs.
"So, can you give me some examples of some cities where rich black people are displacing poor white poeple?"
Well, yes I can. It has been happening in Atlanta and DeKalb County, Georgia for YEARS.
I don't think that we have the same definition of what "gentrification" is. Reading what USAn said about Pittsburgh redevelopment does smack of racism AND classism.
Republicans do not believe that the test of society is how it treats its weakest and most vulnerable members.
Republicans are generally social Darwinists who think we must all live within a war of all against all with the market (or weapons) determining who is "superior" with the "inferior" members of society enduring their "natural" state of weakness with no justifiable assistance from the "victors".
This is a false understanding of Darwin. It is why I oppose the Republican party on many issues.
"Because of critical shortages in low cost housing, few now expect tens of thousands of poor and working people to ever be able to return home."
I think instead that a lot of them don't want to get flooded out again.
According to the right reverand John Hagee, N.O. deserved what Katrina brought, because of the gay lifestyle and the debauchery he claims was the hallmark of N.O. freewheeling enviroment.
Of course, Jerry Farwell said N.Y. deserved 911 for similar reasons.
And John McCain accepted Hagee's endorsement yesterday.
So I wonder, if the poor, and the disabled, and the elderly of this country, who have suffered in particular in N.O., were THEY gay, are they party animals, deserving of the wrath of God these haters, Hagee and Farwell so love to point too?
I can't wait until the Nov. election, and see Barack win 80% of the peoples vote.
Our government's handling of the Katrina disaster has been appalling from the outset. More appalling still are the efforts of our government, its cronies and individual opportunists who have been swift to take advantage of this tragedy for a variety of odious purposes.
Every American should be forewarned. What happened, and is still happening, to the folks of Louisiana could very well happen to any of us.
Maybe this was the venue Bush meant when he proclaimed 'Mission Accomplished' - not the Iraq war crimes,
He just got ahead in the plan book drafted by the rich and famous.
The approximately one million people forced to flee from New Orleans, and now those who cannot return, are the first wave of climate change refugees in this country. We will be seeing more of this if we do not change course re the environment.
Such stuff isn't just happening in New Orleans.
The poor (read "black") are being ethnically cleansed out of a lot of gentrifying US cities. In the case of here in Pittsburgh, where our "Katrina" was an economic one through the 1980's to early 90's. They are being forced up the Mon river, to the dilapidated, run down, and largely abandoned steel-towns - Braddock, Duquesne, Clairton, McKeesport -where they live in even greater poverty.
But the Official Attitude - all the way up to our boy-mayor is: "good! These undesirables are finally out of sight - I don't have to see any ugly poor black people walking by while I sip my latte in the cafe at Whole Foods.
To care about the fate of the poor itself is subversive and not in the allowed range of discourse in the US.
"New Orleans, which was 67 percent black before Katrina, is estimated to be no higher than 58 percent black now."
The same thing has been accomplished in the city of Atlanta without a hurricane. SO WHAT.
termite,
I repeat, it wasn't a hurricane or climate change, that produced the result this article discusses, (the rich white people, and the rich paper-bag-test psssing creoles have all returned) - it is racist ethnic cleansing.
sLiMsHaDy:
Yup, that's also the official attitude - "So what? Who cares about the poor "niggers".
I think that it is more class based- like the commentor from Pittsburgh notes.
My "so what" was directed at the rather insignificant 67% vs 58% demographic break down. The mis-treatment of ANY type of poor people is a HUGE concern for me. I regret that I did not make that point clear.
What we do the poor we ultimately do to ourselves. Even if we never become poor ourselves, the thought of being poor will follow us around like a dark cloud and strike fear in our hearts whenever a financial crisis arises, for that would put us one step closer to 'them.'
This is a trick question, right?
sLiMsHaDy,
"I think that it is more class based-like the commentor from Pittsburgh notes."
No, Pittsburgers don't mind poor white people too much, it is only the poor blacks whose neighborhoods the gentrifying developers covet...
And sorry, normally I have a good eye for pointed understatement...
And why did CD take the lberty to change teh subtitle to "Failure or Success"? Quigleys article, as it appears in counterpunch.org is entitled "The Cleansing of New Orleans".
Well, people living up in Maine can be excused for not having a lot of first-hand knowlege of race in America.
sounds like a wonderful success, numbers down on medicaid and alsorts of public give aways. Welfare down food stamps down. If we can get hurricanes to target the right areas we could do away with poverty altogether!
grumpyoldlady said on March 4th, 2008 1:19 pm: "Our government's handling of the Katrina disaster has been appalling from the outset."
It wasn't incompetence... it was by design. It's the whole "every man for themselves" attitude that's prevalent these days.
"sounds like a wonderful success, numbers down on medicaid and alsorts of public give aways. Welfare down food stamps down. If we can get hurricanes to target the right areas we could do away with poverty altogether!"
That's just dumb. The former poor of NO are in other cities now.
"The approximately one million people forced to flee from New Orleans, and now those who cannot return, are the first wave of climate change refugees in this country. "
But contrary to what the climate change people predicted, the following two hurricane seasons were much milder than they predicted.
The fact is that New Orleans has serious problems regarding it's physical location vis a vis weather and geography. The natives said so when the settlers started building the permenent settlement.
"No, Pittsburgers don't mind poor white people too much, it is only the poor blacks whose neighborhoods the gentrifying developers covet…"
That would be exactly OPPOSITE of the way that gentrification works in other cities. I confess to know very little about Pittsburgh.
"And sorry, normally I have a good eye for pointed understatement…"
I can always recognize a race baiter no matter what race they are.
jake, look up sarcasm in a dictionary.
Were the poor displaced intentionally: yes I believe so. But this will all come back to bite the perps in the ass. With global warming, rising sea levels will obliterate New Orleans. It's not [if] but when.
"jake, look up sarcasm in a dictionary."
State your real point then. Please.
What it is, is part of the elites depopulation program in progress that is going on all over the planet not just here in the U.S.. go to infowars.com and get the DVD "ENDGAME". Tells the story of what is really going on everywhere and those behind it..
As for the FEMA trailers..nothing that breathes should ever be inside one. They have known since April 2006 that they had toxic levels of formaldehyde..Read recently that FEMA wants to sell the unused ones to the public. Figures!
FEMA is another corrupt arm of this corrupt corporate administration.
Everyone should read an article in the archives at alternet.org by Sara Robinson of Feb 22,08.."When Change Is Not Enough..Seven Steps To Revolution".
Also check out articles at:
www.thirdworldtravelers.com ..The Sara Robinson article is also there at thirdworldtravelers.
It's not what is so visible, it's what is being hidden that presents the most danger to the people. The more we learn and tell others so that exposure begins in earnest the more chance we will have of changing what they have planned.
The power elite think they own this entire planet and they want to reduce (by 80%)the rest of the population world wide. Just look at how rapidly the demise of our Constitution and our freedoms, finances, education, and healthcare just in the past 7 1/2 years has come about, along with a surge in the homeless population numbers, with our returning military among them.
Look at the corruption that is barely covered up if not done with a just 'in your face'attitude. Connect the dots and research because there are a lot of whistle blowers on the web. That is why corporate keeps trying to control it.
Martial law is looming, everything has been put into place for it. We can't just sit and let that happen.
If nothing else get that DVD. If that doesn't make you mad as hell, nothing will.
We need to come together as never before and reclaim our country.
jjpeter - I can't wait until the Nov. election, and see Barack win 80% of the peoples vote.
Yes, and still lose the election after the votes are all counted.
"Republicans are generally social Darwinists who think we must all live within a war of all against all with the market (or weapons) determining who is "superior" with the "inferior" members of society enduring their "natural" state of weakness with no justifiable assistance from the "victors"."
**but they believe assistance to the rich is justifiable.
Welfare for the rich is their motto.
New Orleans is below sea level and close to the sea. That means routine flooding. That is why they had levys. If the dutch were as cavalier with their dikes, they would get flooded too. This was another crime by the administration, NOT, a natural disaster. The answer is SUCCESS. New Orleans is a success story for the ones in charge. It is truly disgusting. The whole world is watching!
The american government cares about new orleans?
They provided aid there slower then to the tsunami victims.
And isnt less dole bludgers a good thing
"If the dutch were as cavalier with their dikes, they would get flooded too."
The comparison is weak. The Netherlands do not lie in the path of tropical storms nor the mouth of a river that drains the better part of a continent.
You've heard of "ethnic cleansing?" This is "economic cleansing." Very little difference regarding the outcome. For political conservatives, poor is passe.
"The whole world is watching", indeed! So bad, the UN had to weigh in
"That would be exactly OPPOSITE of the way that gentrification works in other cities. I confess to know very little about Pittsburgh."
So, can you give me some examples of some cities where rich black people are displacing poor white poeple?
In Pittsburgh, the poorer white (but by no means nearly as poor as the black) neighborhoods, like Bloomfield or Lawrenceville are being left to develop in relatively diverse low-impact ways with lots of small family businesses. But the black neighborhoods - East Libeerty and the Lower Hill, see waves of big-developer driven yuppification projects and an arena for that whitest of sports - Hockey. It is ethnic cleansing, palin and simple.
The racism-denial of CD readers is stunning.
And isnt less dole bludgers a good thing[?]
Sarcasm recognized, but unlike Australia, the US (under Clinton) has dismantled it's dole program, so we have very few bludgers here.
Unlike most CD readers, I live in the city and even ride the bus. I can assure you most poor people largely work their asses off at minimum wage -which here in the US is $5.50 per hour - not $14.00 per hour like some more enlightened countries.
Answering the title question is easy if you're a Republican or a Democrat. In both cases, the answer is: Yes! Republicans hate the poor, and love to use racial prejudice in order to maintain and increase their power. The Democrats love to cluck platitutdes, but they threw the poor under the bus once and for all about midway through the Clinton Presidency.
I'd like to see a modicum of rationality enter the discussion, especially with regard to pouring federal tax dollars into building ANYTHING below sea level in a hurricane-prone region.
Personally, I would not like to spend another dime to rebuild housing in areas that fall into that category. It just doesn't make sense. Before I'm labelled as a hate-filled racist; My commentary or thought has ZERO, nothing, ZIP to do with racial or demographic layouts.
PDF
"If they had like to die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."
America's treatment of the poor in New Orleans is representative of its treatment of the poor throughout the US. This has been true for at least ten years now.
And why not? The general population -- and even the progressive community -- has consistently refused to demand humane treatment of our poor. The poor speak up, and aren't heard. Those who have a voice, have no interest in speaking up on behalf of the poor. Could Americans in general be that ignorant of the severity of conditions of poverty in the US today? Or is it that it is simply easier to take a stand for a vague/distant cause about which we know we can do very little?
Jakenewton what's up with your hateful attitude towards New Orleans? If you don't like the people of New Orleans then leave us the hell alone. Your words only contribute to the suffering of people. You are like the " spoiled rich kid" bully. Go away!