[FoCHAT] Important: Descrip. of RHP Provisions, Town Hall Mtg. Sat. on Housing with Cong. Maxine Waters

Thu Jul 5 21:03:58 PDT 2007

Dear Concerned Louisianians,

  Here is important information about this Saturday's Town Hall Meeting in New Orleans.

  Representive Waters from California has shown her concern for the people of our state and our post-storm and post-flood plight. Please come to this meeting to show that what she is doing to help us is recognized as critically important to Louisianians.

  The legislation that Rep. Waters sponsored that deals in part with the Road Home Program is at the following stage:

  Bill Status    
          Feb 28, 2007

    Introduced
      Mar 7, 2007

    Scheduled for Debate
      Mar 21, 2007

    Passed House
      -

    Voted on in Senate
      -

    Signed by President

  It includes the following.

  http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-1227

  SEC. 101. FLEXIBILITY OF FEDERAL FUNDS FOR ROAD HOME PROGRAM.
  (a) Prohibition of Restriction on Use of Amounts-
  (1) IN GENERAL- Subject to paragraph (2) and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency may not prohibit or restrict the use, by the State of Louisiana under the Road Home Program of such State, of any amounts specified in paragraph (3) based upon the existence or extent of any requirement or condition under such program that--
  (A) limits or reduces the amount made available to an eligible homeowner who does not agree to remain an owner and occupant of a home in Louisiana; or
  (B) waives the applicability of any limitation or reduction referred to in subparagraph (A) for homeowners who are elderly or senior citizens.
  (2) SAVINGS PROVISION- Except as provided in paragraph (1), all other provisions of section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c) shall apply to amounts specified in paragraph (3) that are used by the State of Louisiana under the Road Home Program of such State.
  (3) COVERED AMOUNTS- The amounts specified in this paragraph are any amounts provided for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita under the Hazard Mitigation Grant program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the State of Louisiana.
  (b) Reports-
  (1) LOUISIANA ROAD HOME PROGRAM- The State of Louisiana shall submit reports under this subsection regarding the Road Home Program of such State to the Committees identified in paragraph (5). Each such report under this subsection shall describe and analyze the implementation, status, and effectiveness of the Road Home Program and shall include the information described in paragraph (3) regarding such program, for the applicable reporting period and for the entire period of the program.
  (2) OTHER STATES' HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FUNDED WITH CDBG DISASTER ASSISTANCE- Each State that received amounts made available under the heading `Department of Housing and Urban Development--Community Planning and Development--Community Development Fund' in chapter 9 of title I of division B of Public Law 109-148 (119 Stat. 2779) or under such heading in chapter 9 of title II of Public Law 109-234 (120 Stat. 472) shall submit reports under this subsection regarding each grant program of the State for assistance for individual households funded in whole or in part with such amounts to the Committees identified in paragraph (5). Each such report under this subsection shall describe and analyze the implementation, status, and effectiveness of each such grant program and shall include the information described in paragraph (3) regarding each such program, for the applicable reporting period and for the entire period of such program.
  (3) CONTENTS- The information described in this paragraph with respect to a program is the following information:
  (A) The number of applications submitted for assistance under the program.
  (B) The number of households for which assistance has been provided under the program.
  (C) The average amount of assistance provided for each household under the program and the total amount of assistance provided under the program.
  (D) The number of personnel involved in executing all aspects of the program.
  (E) Actions taken to improve the program and recommendations for further such improvements.

  SEC. 102. TREATMENT OF BENEFITS FROM OTHER PROGRAMS UNDER ROAD HOME PROGRAM.
  (a) In General- Subject to subsection (b) and notwithstanding any other provision of law, to the extent that amounts made available under the heading `Department of Housing and Urban Development-Community Planning and Development--Community Development Fund' in chapter 9 of title I of division B of Public Law 109-148 (119 Stat. 2779), under such heading in chapter 9 of title II of Public Law 109-234 (120 Stat. 472), and under section 101 of this title, are used by the State of Louisiana under the Road Home program, the procedures preventing duplication of benefits established pursuant to the penultimate proviso under such heading in Public Law 109-148 (119 Stat. 2781) and the 15th proviso under such heading in Public Law 109-234 (120 Stat. 473) shall not apply with respect to any benefits received from hazard insurance, flood insurance, or disaster payments from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, except to the extent that the inapplicability of such procedures would
 result in a windfall gain under the Road Home Program to any person.
  (b) Applicability- During the period consisting of fiscal years 2008 through 2012, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall monitor the expenditure, under the Road Home Program, of amounts referred to in subsection (a) that were made available from Public Laws 109-148 and 109-234. If at any time during such period the cumulative outlays resulting from the inapplicability, pursuant to subsection (a), of the procedures referred to in such subsection preventing duplication of benefits exceed $1,250,000,000, the Secretary shall suspend the applicability of subsection (a) for the remainder of such period.

"Tracie L. Washington" <tlwesq at cox.net> wrote:
  From: "Tracie L. Washington" <tlwesq at cox.net>
To: "'Melanie Ehrlich'" <mehrlich8 at yahoo.com>
Subject: FW: Town Hall Meeting on Housing with Congresswoman Maxine Waters
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 16:58:53 -0500

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    Tracie 

  Tracie L. Washington, Esq.
  President & CEO
The Louisiana Justice Institute 
1631 Elysian Fields Avenue 
New Orleans, Louisiana  70117 
504.304.7947  Tel 
504.940.6642  Fax 
504.390.4642  Cell 
tracie at louisianajusticeinstitute.org 
tlwesq at cox.net 
  The Louisiana Justice Institute 
     Equity makes Prosperity 

---------------------------------

  From: Tracie L. Washington [mailto:tlwesq at cox.net] 
Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 4:55 PM
To: 'Tracie L. Washington'
Cc: 'Tracie L. Washington'
Subject: Town Hall Meeting on Housing with Congresswoman Maxine Waters

  Friends:

  Please see attached Press Release and Invitation to Town Hall Meeting on Housing, for Saturday, July 7, 2007 at 10:00a.m. at Trinity Episcopal School.

  Town Hall Meeting on Housing in New Orleans
  Where We Are – Where We’re Going

  Saturday, July 7, 2007
  Trinity Episcopal Church
  1329 Jackson Avenue
  New Orleans, Louisiana 70118
  10:00 a.m.

          10:00 a.m.
    Welcome and Program

  Judith Browne, Advancement Project
  Tracie Washington, Louisiana Justice Institute
  Ishmael Muhammad, People’s Organizing Committee
      10:10 a.m.
    Federal Initiatives to Assist Housing in New Orleans 

  Honorable Maxine Waters (D-CA) to discuss the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007

  Local Initiatives to Assist Homeowners and Renters

  Honorable C. Ray Nagin, Mayor – City of New Orleans
  Honorable Oliver Thomas, New Orleans City Council*
  Honorable Cynthia Willard Lewis, New Orleans City Council*
  Lilly Woodfork, Resident– New Orleans Public Housing
  Celestine Walker, New Orleans Survivors Council
  Joe Black, Renter
              Tanya Harris, New Orleans ACORN

  Road Home Update

              Melanie Ehrlich, Citizens Road Home Action Team            
  Perry Walker, ICF, International*         
      11:00 a.m.
    Questions & Answer Session
      12:00 p.m.
    Adjourn

  *invited guest

   Tracie 
  Tracie L. Washington, Esq.
  President & CEO
The Louisiana Justice Institute 
1631 Elysian Fields Avenue 
New Orleans, Louisiana  70117 
504.304.7947  Tel 
504.940.6642  Fax 
504.390.4642  Cell 
tracie at louisianajusticeinstitute.org 
tlwesq at cox.net 
  The Louisiana Justice Institute 
     Equity makes Prosperity 

  PRESS RELEASE – PRESS RELEASE – PRESS RELEASE – PRESS RELEASE

  Congresswoman Maxine Waters to Host Town Hal Meeting
  On Current Housing Initiatives for New Orleans
  And the Gulf Coast Region

  Date: July 5, 2007

  Contact:        Judith Browne – Advancement Project, 202.728.9557
                          Tracie L. Washington – Louisiana Justice Institute, 504.390.4642
                          Ishmael Muhammad – Peoples Organizing Committee, 404.664.3009

              New Orleans, Louisiana – Congresswoman Maxine Waters is no stranger to the people of New Orleans.  When President Bush declared this city would be rebuilt, better and stronger, it was Congresswoman Waters who added “with equity” as the federal mandate.  And Congresswoman Waters has not deserted this city.  

              In less than one month’s time – between February 22, 2007 and March 20, 2007 – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (i) held congressional hearings in New Orleans; (ii) authored HR 1227, the Gulf Coast Hurricane Housing Recovery Act of 2007; (iii) passed the bill passed out of the Financial Services Committee, and (4) had the bill debated and approved by the U.S. House of Representatives.  The full text of this comprehensive bill and a summary can be found at www.house.gov. The following are its key components: 

  T                  authority to free $1.175 billion in appropriated funds being held up by FEMA
  T                  $15,000,000 for NORA to implement a real-estate development pilot program
  T                  $5,000,000 in both 2008 and 2009 to ensure enforcement of fair housing laws
  T                  guaranteeing the RIGHT to RETURN for displaced public housing residents
  T                  accountability and oversight of the Louisiana Road Home program 

              Mrs. Waters will present the details of the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007 at a TOWN HALL MEETING ON HOUSING IN NEW ORLEANS, on Saturday, July 7, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana.  Congresswoman Waters, Mayor Ray Nagin, Councilman Oliver Thomas, and local housing advocates will be on hand to answer your housing questions. 

              “Maxine Waters has been a true warrior and social justice advocate for New Orleans residents in the Congress of the United States,” says Attorney Tracie Washington, President & CEO of the Louisiana Justice Institute.  “She recognizes the City of New Orleans must be rebuilt and housing is key to our redevelopment.”

              If you are a homeowner, a renter, a public housing resident, or a concerned citizen or visitor who wants to know how your tax dollars are being spent, and future plans for housing in New Orleans, please do not miss this opportunity to meet Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

Melanie Ehrich
CHAT 
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