Long after recovery, Hurricane's effects will remain, say experts
by David Kassabain
Washington - The effects of Hurricane Katrina could further segregate
New Orleans racially and economically, a panel of social science experts
and others said Tuesday.
More than just temporary relief efforts are needed to combat a growing
economic, social and cultural vacuum typically seen by lower-income residents
after natural disasters and other emergencies, the panelists said. They spoke
at an event hosted by the Urban Institute, which investigates urban social
and economic issues.
Consequences could range from large numbers of the predominantly African-American
evacuees permanently relocating, to city planners shifting new homes for
African-Americans and other minorities to different areas of New Orleans.
That could result in even less diversity, the group said. Long-term housing
and education problems could also affect evacuees for decades to come, they added.
"We're going to commit a lot of money rebuilding the physical structure of
New Orleans ? I don't think we have a clue about how the social structure
collapsed," said Roderick Harrison, founding director of DataBank at the
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.
Rebuilding is historically done at the expense of those poor and people of
color after prime real estate is reclaimed and those with little power are
shifted to less desirable locations, said Lonnie Bunch, founding director of
the National Museum of African History and Culture.
More than 29 percent of the population of New Orleans was below the poverty
line, compared to about 13 percent nationally, according to 2000 U.S. Census
data. More than 67 percent of the city was African-American.
Beyond housing, jobs created from recovery efforts are typically temporary
and often result in a reduction of permanent work, especially for those with
little skills, Bunch said.
"It's clear to me that this migration is really a long-term challenge ? not
a six-month or one-year challenge," Bunch said.
Families with school-age children run some of the greatest risks for suffering
permanent sociological trauma after disasters, said Olivia Golden, director
of Assessing the New Federalism Project.
"After a child's life has been disrupted, bad public responses can make things
worse," Golden said. "If parents lives are stable ? children can be amazingly resilient."
Low-income families are going to face affordability issues when they return,
said Margery Austin Turner, director of the Center on Metropolitan Housing
Communities at the Urban Institute. Security and closeness to school and
work are just as important as finding shelter, she said.
"It's especially important that we don't make those same mistakes again,"
Turner said. "Temporary housing like RV's or mobile homes might be necessary,
but they pose the serious risk of creating new isolated ghettos for evacuees."
Large portions of New Orleans can?t be rebuilt, Harrison said.
"In 10 to 20 years from now, I think you are going to see a much smaller
city," he said.
Source: Scripps Howard Foundation
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