Institute for Southern Studies: Report: Most Gulf Coast Aid Failing To Reach Katrina Victims
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
AUGUST 23, 2007
5:55 AM
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CONTACT: Institute for Southern Studies
Chris Kromm: 919-419-8311 x26; chris@southernstudies.org
Sue Sturgis: 919-419-8311 x25;
sue@southernstudies.org
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Report: Most Gulf Coast Aid Failing To Reach Katrina Victims
New Study "Follows The Money," Identifies Bottlenecks In Recovery; Media Briefing At 1 PM Eastern Today
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Durham, NC - August 23 - Two years after the onslaught of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, much of the Gulf Coast is still in deep crisis -- and Washington's recovery plans remain plagued by red tape, failures of oversight and misguided priorities, keeping thousands of families in limbo.
That's the finding of "Blueprint for Gulf Renewal," a new report from the Institute for Southern Studies, a non-profit research center that has been tracking the Gulf recovery.
A summary report of key findings is available at: http://www.southernstudies.org/BlueprintShort.pdf
The study features a special report, "Where did the Katrina money go?" the result of an in-depth analysis of federal spending in the Gulf Coast since 2005. The Institute reveals that, out of the $116 billion in Katrina funds allocated, less than 30% has gone towards long-term rebuilding-and less than half of that has been spent, much less reached those most in need.
"The President says he's written a 'big check' for the Gulf Coast, but for the over 80,000 families still in FEMA trailers, they must be wondering if the check bounced," says Jeffrey Buchanan of the RFK Memorial Center for Human Rights and co-author of the special report.
The study also looks at 80 statistical indicators and draws on interviews with more than 40 Gulf Coast leaders to identify roadblocks to recovery, and ways federal leaders can tackle critical needs in the region like housing, jobs and coastal protection.
"The statistics and the voices of Gulf Coast leaders are all telling the same story: the Katrina recovery is failing," said Chris Kromm, a co-author of the report. "Washington must live up to its promises, and commit to a bold new agenda for the Gulf's revival."
WHAT: Findings of Blueprint for Gulf Renewal(pdf), a report on post-Katrina recovery and policy solutions
WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007 at 1 p.m. Eastern
WHERE: Phone-in media briefing; call 1-800-261-2045; passcode 149115
WHO:
* Chris Kromm, Director of Institute for Southern Studies and co-author of Blueprint for Gulf Renewal
* Monique Harden of Advocates for Environmental Human Rights in New Orleans
* Sharon Hanshaw of Coastal Women for Change in Biloxi, Mississippi
* Jeffrey Buchanan of the RFK Memorial Center in Washington, D.C.
BACKGROUND: The Institute for Southern Studies is a non-profit research and education center based in Durham, N.C. Since October 2005, the Institute's Gulf Watch project has published several nationally-acclaimed reports on the Katrina recovery, including The Mardi Gras Index (Feb. 2006), One Year after Katrina (Aug/Sept 2006) and A New Agenda for the Gulf Coast (Feb. 2007), which have been featured on dozens of media outlets including ABC News, BBC News, "Live From" on CNN, Cox Media, Reuters, Time.com and XM Radio.
For a copy of the report and more of the Institute's ongoing coverage of the crisis in the Gulf, visit:
www.southernstudies.org/gulfwatch
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