Table of contents
1. Introduction
2. The ineffectiveness of the existing programs in relation to homeless Katrina
survivors
3. Increasing funding of public housing as the solution to the problem
4. Conclusion
5. References
Introduction
Katrina was probably one of the largest natural disasters that have ever struck
the US. This hurricane was extremely disastrous and it practically swept out
such large city as New Orleans. At any rate, this is exactly what homeless Katrina
survivors could think of after the hurricane. In fact, these people have survived
the terrible hurricane to face another, not less serious problem, the problem
of their physical survival while they have practically lost any hope to reestablish
normal life or start a new one. Basically, for the overwhelming majority of
homeless Katrina survivors the life is divided into two distinct parts before
and after the hurricane. Even though the life before the hurricane was far from
perfect for the majority of them, it had become practically unbearable just
after Katrina had struck.
Nowadays, they are homeless and totally dependent on charity and state support
while they can hardly start a new life on their since they do not have neither
physical nor psychological forces to continue this permanent struggle for the
survival because they do not have homes, stable income, and real support from
the part of a state or any sort other institutions. In such a situation, the
current policy and existing programs targeting at the solution of the problem
of homeless Katrina survivors prove to be totally ineffective since what they
have got after the hurricane is basically provisional housing and there is no
long-run programs that can guarantee their stable life in the future in their
own homes. At the same time, Katrina has revealed a serious problem of the lack
of public housing, which could apparently solve the problem of homeless Katrina
survivors and provide them with an opportunity to start a new life in new homes.
The ineffectiveness of the existing programs in relation to homeless Katrina
survivors
First of all, it should be said that a considerable part of the population of
New Orleans was dramatically affected by the hurricane but the most affected
part were representatives of lower classes, which economic position and social
status were low. It is not a secret that a large part of poor population of
New Orleans was African-American ethnic group, which was affected probably most
severely by the hurricane. At the same time, the problem of the lack of housing
became a really interracial problem and affected representatives of all ethnic
groups, though, due to the low socio-economic position, the majority of victims
of Katrina were African-Americans and they still constitute the majority among
homeless Katrina survivors (Mowbray, 2005).
At the same time, the poor economic position and low social status is probably
the largest obstacle on the way of homeless Katrina survivors to start a new
life after the disaster. In fact, poor survivors cannot afford building new
houses, acquiring new houses, or simply moving to other parts of the US where
they could find a new home at their relatives, for instance, and gradually build
their own homes. Neither of these solutions is appropriate to them because they
cannot afford them because of the lack of sufficient income to fund building
of new houses.
In such a situation, the state and public support seems to be the only possible
solution of the problem of homeless Katrina survivors. In fact, it is obvious
that commercial organization will not sponsor building new homes for a large
number of homeless survivors since they cannot pay for it. The situation is
deteriorated by the fact that the majority of homeless survivors cannot count
for insurance which they did not have at all. Consequently, the state and public
support is the last hope of these people to get new homes.
However, the existing programs prove to be ineffective because, in spite of
all efforts from the part of the state and public support, thousands of Katrina
survivors are still homeless. To put it more precisely, FEMA’s hotel program
was initially supposed to be a short-term solution. As a result about 26,000
people faced a real threat of being simply thrown out in streets after the expiration
of this program (Mowbray, 2005). Furthermore, the trailers, where many people
were placed, were not simply unsuitable for a long-term residing but, what is
more, they were even dangerous for the long-term housing. In this respect, it
should be said that these flimsy trailers cannot be used in the hurricane-prone
Gulf Coast since they can be easily destroyed by another strike of nature, i.e.
another hurricane which should not be even as strong as Katrina was.
Increasing funding of public housing as the solution of the problem
In the result of the ineffectiveness of the existing programs, the need to apply
a different approach to the solution of the problem of homeless Katrina survivors
is obvious. At the same time, it is necessary to underline that the hurricane
has revealed a more serious problem than the problem of the homelessness in
the particular region but it has revealed the extent of this problem in terms
of the entire nation. It proves beyond a doubt that the problem of homeless
Katrina survivors is basically the problem of the unwise policy of the government
in relation to its citizens since there is no long-term programs, while instead,
the government should invent short-term solutions for the concrete problem the
US faced in New Orleans.
In such a situation, it is obvious that it is extremely important to develop
alternative solution of the problem of homeless Katrina survivor to the provisional
measures discussed above. In actuality, this means that the government should
have a long-term program that could really solve the problem of homelessness
in terms of the US at large and due to this it will be much easier to solve
the problem of homeless Katrina survivors since, if there was such a program,
it would be possible to redirect funds to finance building of new houses for
the victims of the hurricane in a relatively short term.
Practically, the alternative solution to the existing programs is the development
of public housing that implies a long-term program targeting the real solution
of the problem of homelessness due to the building of houses for people in need,
which cannot afford the building themselves. As a result, homeless Katrina survivors
would have a chance to receive new houses in terms of this program since they
are the victims of the natural disaster and, if the public housing was well-financed
and well-developed, their problem would be solved in a long-term.
Naturally, this program needs a substantial funding from the part of the government
and it may be very expansive compared to its alternatives but the latter are
less effective, if not to say ineffective at all, compared to public housing.
To put it more precisely, possible alternatives, such as the use trailers, hotels,
and other similar measures are provisional and cannot be applied in a long-term.
This means that sooner or later Katrina survivors either will need to buy or
build houses of their own, which they cannot afford, or, otherwise, they will
become really homeless without even a provisional shelter for trailers may be
simply destroyed by another hurricane, while hotels need proper financing from
the part of the government.
Conclusion
Thus, homeless Katrina survivors are in a really desperate position. The existing
solutions of their problems are absolutely ineffective since they are provisional.
Moreover, even though they seem to be cost saving, in a long-run, the existing
programs will be very expansive. For instance, if the FEMA’s trailers
are destroyed it will be necessary to acquire new ones instead. In such a situation,
the development of public housing may be a really effective measure since this
will provide homeless survivors with normal houses where they can start a new
life without a fear of being thrown out or becoming homeless in the result of
a new disaster. Moreover, public housing may accomplish the existing programs,
which have provided people with provisional shelter, suggesting instead homes
people can use in a long-run.
References:
Baker, P. and Goldstein, A. "Congress Approves $51.8 Billion For Victims."
Washington Post. September 9, 2005.
Bourne, J. K. "Gone with the Water." National Geographic. October
2004.
Drye, W. "Hurricane Katrina Pulls Its Punches in New Orleans." National
Geographic. August 29, 2005.
Leben, R., et al. CU-Boulder Researchers Chart Katrina's Growth In Gulf Of Mexico.
University of Colorado at Boulder. 2005.
Mowbray, R. "Evacuations to hotels come with own set of hazards."
Times-Picayune. August 30, 2005.
Rulon, M. and Scott, K.H. "Evacuation plan failed to consider those without
transportation." Burlington Free Press. March 11, 2006.
