Katrina Recovery Benefited the Rich

Like so many other storylines of Hurricane Katrina, the tale of New Orleans’ recovery diverges for affluent whites and low-income blacks. For people who were well-off before the storm, they are more likely to be back in their homes, back in their jobs and to have access to good health care,” said one leading advocate. “For those who were poor or struggling to get by before the storm, the opposite is true.” Earlier this month, Lousiana’s program to hand out grants to property owners whose holdings were damaged by the hurricane was found to discriminate against black homeowners. In Mississippi, low-income, uninsured homeowners were hurt by a decision to refuse rebuilding grants to property owners who suffered wind damage. And a recent survey found that African-Americans in New Orleans are more than twice as likely to believe they have not yet recovered from Katrina.