**RESOLUTION**

**NO. R-07-528**

**CITY HALL: [November 1, 2007]{.underline}**

**BY: COUNCILMEMBERS FIELKOW, DARNELL, MIDURA, HEAD,**

**CARTER, HEDGE-MORRELL AND WILLARD-LEWIS**

**WHEREAS,** the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007 (S. 1668) is
currently being considered by the United States Senate Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs;

**WHEREAS,** the Gulf Coast Hurricane Housing Recovery Act of 2007 (H.R.
1227), the House companion to S. 1668, passed the House of
Representatives by a vote of 302-125 on March 21, 2007, with the entire
Louisiana House delegation supporting the bill;

**WHEREAS,** Hurricanes Katrina and Rita damaged nearly 204,700 homes,
82,000 rental properties, and 70 percent of the entire rental stock in
the City of New Orleans;

**WHEREAS,** the Road Home Program is facing a funding shortfall that
could be between \$3 to 4 billion;

**WHEREAS,** the lack of affordable housing in the area remains one of
the biggest challenges for low, moderate and middle-income families;

**WHEREAS,** the lack of sufficient affordable workforce housing is
hampering the recovery of the hospitality, healthcare, and construction
industries which are vital to economy of the New Orleans area;

**WHEREAS,** there should be a consideration of an increase of the Area
Median Income;

**WHEREAS,** there should be consideration for a fair and equitable
distribution of affordable housing within all neighborhoods with
appropriate consideration for areas with adequate infrastructure,
schools, health care, and transportation;

**WHEREAS,** there should be an effort to reduce density and eliminate
the concentration of poverty, and to foster choice in housing by subsidy
recipients;

**WHEREAS,** immediate reforms in local management of HANO and HUD are
required in addition to better enforcement of all HANO standards
including enforcement of a workforce requirement;

**WHEREAS,** S.1668 should encourage growth of New Orleans as a healthy
community;

**THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS,**
That the Council of the City of New Orleans is supportive of efforts
towards Senate passage of S. 1668 and is committed to working closely
with our Louisiana United States Senators and the United States Senate
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs to further strengthen
this legislation as it moves through the Congress.

**BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS,**
That in regard to any mixed-income development that those developments
have safety provisions be put in place that include but are not limited
to adequate police and fire protection, private security, effective
on-site management with regular inspections, and periodic and continuous
code enforcement review;

**BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS,**
That in regard to any mixed-income development that those developments
provide adequate social services including but not limited to health
care, day care, youth development, workforce development, job training,
and access to public transportation;

**BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS,**
That the Housing and Human Needs Committee of the New Orleans City
Council will further review S.1668 and provide comments to the U.S.
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs in a reasonable
timeframe; and

**BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS,**
That the Clerk of Council forward a certified copy of this resolution to
The Honorable C. Ray Nagin, Mayor of the City of New Orleans, the
Louisiana State and Federal legislative delegation, the U.S. Senate
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, U.S. House of
Representatives Sub-Committee on Housing and Community Opportunity,
Committee on Financial Services.

**THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION WAS READ IN FULL, THE ROLL WAS CALLED ON THE
ADOPTION THEREOF AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS:**

**YEAS:**

**NAYS:**

**ABSENT:**

**AND THE RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED.**