Inclusion Daily Express -- Senators Want To Expand Housing For Thousands Of Hurricane Survivors

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Senators Want To Expand Housing For Thousands Of Hurricane Survivors
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
May 7, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC--It's been almost three years since hurricanes Katrina and Rita slammed into the Gulf Coast, killing hundreds of people and destroying thousands of homes.

While many who had fled the area continue to return, thousands of survivors with disabilities have not been able to come back because of a lack of accessible, affordable housing.

This week, U.S. Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana introduced legislation that would provide more than $200 million in federal aid to build or repair homes for seniors and residents with disabilities.

The bipartisan Gulf Coast Multifamily and Assisted Housing Recovery Act would provide enough money to finance the construction of 1,500 new housing units in Gulf Coast states. It would also require the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to prepare a housing plan for seniors and people with disabilities in future disasters.

While some new low-income housing has been built since the storms, the waiting lists continue to grow. Many who have returned to the area remain in trailers provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or now live with friends or relatives.

Related:
"People With Disabilities Among Hardest Hit By Hurricanes Katrina & Rita" (Inclusion Daily Express)

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