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Fact Sheet: The Two-Year Anniversary Of Hurricane Katrina

Copyright: Business Wire
Source: Business Wire
Wordcount: 1458

People Of The Gulf Coast Rebuild National Desks NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--Aug. 29, 2007--Today, President And Mrs. Bush Are Visiting Louisiana
And Mississippi To Review These States' Progress In Rebuilding From The
Unprecedented Devastation Of Hurricane Katrina.

-- Louisiana: Last night, President and Mrs. Bush had dinner with cultural
and community leaders at Dooky Chase, a famous New Orleans restaurant that
has been closed since Hurricane Katrina but is scheduled to reopen in a
couple of weeks. This morning, they will visit Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Charter School for Science and Technology, the first public school to reopen
in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward, where they will meet with Louisiana
education officials. They will remain at the school for a moment of silence
to mourn the lives lost during Hurricane Katrina.

-- Mississippi: In Mississippi, the President and Mrs. Bush will be briefed
by State and local elected officials and community leaders on rebuilding
efforts. The President will then make a statement in front of the U.S. 90
Bridge between Bay Saint Louis and Pass Christian, Mississippi. This bridge
was completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, but two lanes of the bridge
were opened to traffic in May 2007, and the project is scheduled for
completion in late January 2008.

The Federal Government Is Meeting Its Commitment To Assist Gulf States In
Their Rebuilding Efforts

The Federal Government Has Provided More Than $114 Billion In Resources -
$127 Billion Including Tax Relief - To The Gulf Region.

-- Over $96 Billion Of The $114 Billion (84 Percent) Either Has Been
Disbursed Or Is Available For States To Draw From. The Federal government
plans to obligate every dollar - the funds are there and ready to be used,
and we are working with State and local leaders to help them take advantage
of the remainder of this funding to rebuild the region.

-- Over The Past Year, $24 Billion In Federal Funds Have Been Spent To
Rebuild The Gulf States And To Further Assist Hurricane Victims. Federal
dollars have been used to build houses and schools, repair damaged
infrastructure, and provide victims with a place to live and other essential
assistance as the region continues to get back on its feet.

Restoring And Improving New Orleans Levees

The Administration Has Secured $7.1 Billion From Congress For The U.S. Army
Corps Of Engineers To Repair And Enhance The Levees, Make The Entire
Hurricane Protection System Better And Stronger, And Begin To Restore The
Wetlands Surrounding The Greater New Orleans Area.

-- Today, The New Orleans Area Has The Best Flood Protection In History, And
Work Continues On Improvements. All damages to pre-Katrina infrastructure
have been repaired, and in many places, the system is now better than before
Hurricane Katrina struck:

-- Most of the damaged I-wall construction floodwalls have been replaced
with T-walls that have stronger foundations. -- The most vulnerable
floodwalls have been armored to protect against erosion. -- Most transition
points between levees have been strengthened. -- Thirty-six miles of new
levees and floodwalls have been rebuilt and restored to original design
height. -- Floodgates have been added to protect outfall canals that drain
water from the city to Lake Pontchartrain.

-- In His FY 2009 Budget, President Bush Will Request The Federal Share Of
The Additional $7.6 Billion Needed To Complete These Improvements. This
funding will allow the Army Corps of Engineers to complete its work to
improve storm and flood protection infrastructure in Greater New Orleans to
a 100-year protection level by 2011. It will also fund a $1.3 billion
network of interior drainage projects to ensure the area has a more complete
hurricane protection system.

Helping To Reopen Schools And Educate Students

The U.S. Department Of Education Provided $2 Billion To Help Local Officials
Reopen K-12 And Postsecondary Schools Along The Gulf Coast And Educate
Students Displaced By Hurricanes. In addition, FEMA has obligated more than
$1.2 billion to Louisiana for school buildings across the state, and
Mississippi has received approximately $300 million for education
facilities.

-- The Education Department Has Provided $45 Million To Help Louisiana Open
Or Reopen Charter Schools. Charter schools are allowing for more
flexibility, greater accountability, and better results for New Orleans'
students.

Since The Gulf Coast School Library Recovery Initiative Began In May 2006,
The Laura Bush Foundation For America's Libraries Has Awarded More Than $2.5
Million To 54 Gulf Coast Schools. These grants are helping schools
re-establish book collections in libraries damaged or destroyed by the 2005
hurricanes. The Laura Bush Foundation for America's libraries was officially
launched in 2002 as a fund of the Community Foundation for the National
Capital Region.

Meeting Housing Needs

The Administration Has Provided A Total Of $16.7 Billion In Federal Funds As
Part Of The Largest Housing Recovery Program In U.S. History. Of these
funds, provided under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's
(HUD) Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) program, more than $10.4
billion has been allocated for Louisiana, of which the State has expended
$3.7 billion. Mississippi has been allocated $5.5 billion, of which
approximately $1.5 billion has been expended. HUD is working with State
leaders to help target these funds, allowing States to draw down funds
quickly after submitting plans. HUD continues to carefully monitor the use
of these Federal dollars and ensure States are complying with the law.

-- Louisiana Has Chosen To Allocate $7.8 Billion Of Its CDBG Funding To Help
Displaced Homeowners And Renters Through The State's Road Home Program. To
date, more than $3.4 billion of those funds have been spent to assist over
42,000 homeowners.

-- Louisiana Is Allocating An Additional $1.6 Billion To Support Critical
Infrastructure Needs And To Promote Economic Development. -- In Addition,
HUD Is Also Working With The Housing Authority Of New Orleans, Which Was
Under HUD Receivership Prior To Katrina, To Build New Mixed-Income
Communities. These communities are better, safer, and provide more
opportunities for residents than prior housing developments that
concentrated poverty.

-- Mississippi Is Allocating $3.4 Billion In CDBG Funding To Assist
Homeowners And Renters. Homeowner grants under the first phase of
Mississippi's program have now been paid to 87 percent of eligible
applicants, for a total of approximately 13,636 grants amounting to nearly
$1 billion in disbursed homeowner assistance funds.

-- Mississippi Is Also Using An Additional $640 Million In CDBG Funding To
Rebuild Infrastructure And $100 Million To Repair Damaged Public Housing.

Over 2,000 HUD-Owned Homes And 76,035 Units In HUD-Assisted Or HUD-Insured
Multifamily Properties (Apartment Buildings) Have Been Repaired And Leased
To Displaced Families Since Hurricanes Katrina And Rita. HUD has also
provided Disaster Vouchers to 28,000 previously HUD-assisted or homeless
families. In September, HUD will take over the FEMA apartment program, which
will continue to provide rental assistance to approximately 45,000
households.

Additional Assistance Is Being Provided For Mississippi And Louisiana
Homeowners And Businesses

The Small Business Administration Has Disbursed $6 Billion In Low-Cost
Disaster Loans To Homeowners, Renters, And Business Owners Along The Gulf
Coast.

Gulf Opportunity Zone (GO Zone) Tax Credits And Other Tax Relief Has
Provided $12.7 Billion In Tax Relief For Victims Of The 2005 Hurricanes. In
2005, the President signed the GO Zone Act to help create jobs and spur
development by providing tax relief for businesses and entrepreneurs in
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The President signed legislation in
December 2006 to extend vital provisions of this act.

The U.S. Department Of Justice (DOJ) Has Provided More Than $86 Million To
Support Louisiana And The City Of New Orleans In Their Efforts To Fight
Violent Crime And Rebuild Their Criminal Justice Systems. Nearly $30 million
was disbursed to the New Orleans area for personnel costs, vehicles, prison
beds, generators, office equipment, riot gear, ammunition, and miscellaneous
equipment to shore up local law enforcement, the court system, and District
Attorney's office.

Historic Volunteer Efforts Have Shown The Compassion Of The American People

In The Two Years Following Hurricane Katrina, More Than 1.1 Million
Americans Have Volunteered To Help With Gulf Coast Response And Rebuilding
Efforts. The number of volunteers in the second year of Katrina recovery
exceeded the historic number of volunteers in the recovery's first year -
the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) reports that
600,000 Americans volunteered to help rebuild the Gulf in the second year
following Hurricane Katrina, up from the historic number of more than
550,000 in the year after the hurricane struck.

-- Since Hurricane Katrina, Over 93,000 Participants In Corporation For
National And Community Service Programs Have Given More Than 3.5 Million
Hours Of Service And Managed 262,000 Volunteers. CNCS has provided more than
$130 million of resources to the Gulf Coast in response to Katrina.

CONTACT: White House Press Office 1-202-456-2580