ABSTRACT
Recovery from a catastrophic disaster is about obtaining and spending large sums of money in a short period of time, as well as planning and managing processes to rebuild homes, livelihoods, and the economy as efficiently, equitably, and sustainably as possible. The new studies, plans and designs compete with the old." The African-American community preferred the "plan" of the predisaster city not only because it was familiar and comforting but also because it was better than what they feared might take its place. The Unified New Orleans Plan planners, keeping to their tight schedule, held the first community congress less than two months into the process, without the public outreach and grassroots organizing necessary to get enough people to the meeting. The Housing Authority of New Orleans has been under Housing and Urban Development (HUD) receivership since 2002. Before the storm, HUD had been planning to redevelop all Housing Authority of New Orleans properties into mixed income housing.
