KATRINA: Ten Years Later

The Role of Total Community Action

Presented by Thelma Harris French, President/CEO J. Kelley Terry, AICP, NCRT, Director, Planning, Research & Development Glenis Scott, Director of Community & Energy Services Total Community Action, Inc.

KATRINA: TEN YEARS LATER

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

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WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

Participants will 1. Develop a structural understanding of what community action experienced in the wake and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans; 2. Discuss the opportunities, missed opportunities and outcomes ten years later. 3. Be provided with an opportunity to see the results of community action’s engagement at the Management & Leadership Conference. Total Community Action, Inc.

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BUILDING ON PARTNERSHIPS

Customer Information – Key Activity Faith Collaborative City of New Orleans American Red Cross My Brother’s Keeper Promise August 29th Total Community Action, Inc.

EVERYONE LOSES SOMETHING

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WHO WOULD NEED HELP

• • • Early media Focus: People Not able to Escape Images Portrayed Damage Impact Disproportionately shared Total Community Action, Inc.

A LOOK AT THE DISPARATIES By Degree of Disparity

• • • By race. 45.8% black, 26.4% Undamaged By housing tenure. 45.7% renters, 30.9% Undamaged.

By poverty and employment status. 20.9% below the poverty line, 15.3% in undamaged areas. 7.6% unemployed, 6.0% in undamaged areas.

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CLOSER INSPECTION

Some Affluent White area were hit hard and some minority areas were spared.

Yet if the post-Katrina city were limited to the population previously living in areas that were undamaged by the storm – that is, if nobody were able to return to damaged neighborhoods – New Orleans is at risk of losing more than 80% of its black population.

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CLOSER INSPECTION, Cont • • This means that policy choices affecting who can return, to which neighborhoods, and with what forms of public and private assistance, will greatly affect the future character of the city.

The odds of living in a damaged area were clearly much greater for blacks, renters, and poor people. In these respects the most vulnerable residents turned out also to be at greatest risk. Total Community Action, Inc.

COMMUNITY ACTION REALITY

THE POOR AND BLACK PEOPLE ALSO HAVE FEWER RESOURCES FOR RETURNING AND REBUILDING.

ADVOCACY REPLACES SERVICES

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A Neighborhood: Lower Ninth Ward Total Community Action, Inc.

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Residential Segregation

THE PROJECTS

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Lakeview

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ALL IN THE SAME BOAT?

• • • • • • • RACE & CLASS PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR POLICIES DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT PAST PUBLIC INVESTMENTS RENTERS PROPERTY INSURANCE INABILITY TO RETURN – SPECIFIC POLICIES Total Community Action, Inc.

SPECIFIC POLICIES

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EVIDENCE OF INSPECTION BY LISCENSED ELECTRICIAN CLOSURE OF ALL PUBLIC HOUSING ALLOCATION OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR 18 MONTHS where they were FEMA Trailers – neighborhood changes

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COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY EFFECTIVENESS ADVOCACY – PREPARING COMMUNITIES FOR CHANGE; FINDING A VOICE

MULTIPLE PLANNING PROCESSES WHOSE CITY WILL BE REBUILT?

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BRING NEW ORLEANS BACK

• • Map, Image and Green Space Selective Rebuilding Total Community Action, Inc.

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COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY EFFECTIVENESS

RECONNECTING FAMILIES THROUGH COMMUNITY ACTION THE WORKING CONFERNCE

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Blessings Where is God?

Despair Total Community Action, Inc.

MOVING ADVOCACY TO FORFRONT

• • • PETER DANGERFIELD CITIZEN PARTICIPATION VOICES OF THE POOR Total Community Action, Inc.

VOICE OF POOR STUDY

• • • • 708 Low Income Evacuees Provide findings to commissions and committees Ensuring views of low income persons are included in any rebuilding processes Process Leaders Co-Opt Research for private use Total Community Action, Inc.

MANAGING CHANGE EFFECTIVELY

• THE ROLE OF LEADERSHIP –

TCA LEADERSHIP CHANGE

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REBUILDING COMPONENTS, SILOS

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RESOURCE ALLOCATION

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CHANGE IN VISION

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NEW LEADERSHIP, NEW DIRECTIONS

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TEN YEAR LATER- EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THE INCOME AND OPPORTUNITY INEQUITIES

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Economic opportunity vs income and opportunity inequities • • • • • Mayor touts Recovery Business Development : the highest economic rankings in the city history 14,000 new jobs since 2010 from major companies From worst to first CNO ranked 6 TH BEST CITY FOR YOUNG Entrepreneurs Many other first and national recognitions • • • • •

Economic opportunity boasts 6B in infrastructure over the next decade

3 billion for bio district 800 million for airport 1.26 billion for drainage 601 million for sewerage 836 million for water system capital expenditures Total Community Action, Inc.

Workforce Challenges

• • • • Long term unified job vacancies Shallow pool of qualified workers Very high turnover at entry level jobs Who is Missing?

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Answering the Call – Pathways to Prosperity

Target Neighborhood Changes Neighborhood Gentrification Conflict “New” New Orleanians Network for Economic Opportunity Comprehensive Crime Strategies Total Community Action, Inc.

• • • • • Rebuilding Recovery Renew Reveal Resilience

CHANGING FOCUSES

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RESILENCE – THE NEW WORD

• • • 100 Resilient Cities – Rockefeller Foundation 100RC helps cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, social, and economic challenges that are a growing part of the 21st century. 100RC provides this assistance through funding for a chief resilience officer in each member city to lead resilience efforts; resources for drafting a resilience strategy; membership in a global network of peer cities to share best practices and challenges, and access to a variety of resilience tools, including the City Resilience Framework. New Orleans was one of the first members of the 100 Resilient Cities Network, and Resilient New Orleans was supported by the 100RC process. New Money Total Community Action, Inc.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION THELMA HARRIS FRENCH

copies of the power point are available on TCA website

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