Wayne Allard: “I rise to introduce the Hurricane Katrina Recovery Homesteading Act of 2005. Modeled on the United States' 19th century…”

“I rise to introduce the Hurricane Katrina Recovery Homesteading Act of 2005. Modeled on the United States' 19th century homesteading initiatives and similar urban programs in the 1970s, this legislation will help us begin to rebuild the Gulf Coast areas destroyed by the hurricane and flooding, providing a fresh start for families victimized by this tragedy. The new urban homesteading proposal will serve several purposes. First, it is an initial step towards rebuilding and revitalizing the hurricane ravaged Gulf Coast. While we have spent recent months appropriately focusing on rescue and clean up, we must now examine the long term need to rebuild and revitalize. Second, the new urban homestead initiative will be one way to begin to address the housing needs of those displaced by Hurricane Katrina. But I want to make it clear that this program is not being introduced as the sole answer to all of the housing problems faced by hurricane victims. Getting all of those individuals back on their feet will require multiple efforts on a significant scale. This is one component of a comprehensive response to the housing needs of the Gulf Coast region. I believe the initiative is a very good start. Third, the Hurricane Katrina Recovery Homesteading Act is a productive way of dealing with government owned properties.…”