[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 24 (Wednesday, March 1, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1580-S1581]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. PRYOR:
  S. 2343. A bill to authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
to provide relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane 
Rita by placing manufactured homes in flood plains, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs.
  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, this week marks the 6-month anniversary of 
when Hurricane Katrina ravaged the gulf coast, destroying lives and 
dreams along the way. Thousands upon thousands of homes were also 
ruined, and today they remain simply a heap of debris.
  I saw this devastation firsthand a few weeks ago when, as a member of 
the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, we traveled 
to Gulfport and New Orleans for field hearings to see what resources 
are necessary to help the region recover from the largest natural 
disaster in our history.
  In fact, this photograph was taken by one of the press people who was 
on that trip. So we saw this scene firsthand. Alison Vekshin of 
Stephens Media took this photo.
  I remind my colleagues that Hurricane Katrina completely destroyed 
205,330 homes in Louisiana. It completely destroyed 68,729 homes in 
Mississippi. And 363 homes were completely destroyed in Alabama. For 
many of these families who lost everything, a place to live would offer 
opportunity for them to go back to work and begin rebuilding their 
lives.
  I was told by local and State leaders that housing is the catalyst to 
get businesses open, to get people back to work, to pump money back 
into the local economy, and to restore the infrastructure that once 
existed.
  Many people along the gulf coast who lost their houses have also lost 
hope. In Arkansas, we have a place called Hope where 10,777 
manufactured homes sit on an airfield.
  These homes--ordered by FEMA and paid for by FEMA--now sit in a FEMA-
leased site, only to be restricted from use in the gulf region because 
of a FEMA-imposed rule that prevents them from being located in a 
floodplain.
  FEMA is now accepting bids to gravel the area where the homes are 
sitting on dirt, costing taxpayers another $4 to $7 million. In 
addition, FEMA is buying a specially designed jack for each corner of 
each home to prevent sagging and further damage.
  These manufactured homes epitomize FEMA's ineptitude in planning, 
communication, and response. Taxpayers have now spent an estimated $475 
million for these homes to sit gridlocked in bureaucracy, even as 
evacuees are evicted from hotel rooms and thousands of others struggle 
to find affordable housing.
  Congressman Mike Ross of Arkansas asked FEMA to waive the floodplain 
restriction that stands in the way between the homeless and a home. But 
FEMA refused, citing that manufactured homes are ``sitting ducks'' for 
the next natural disaster. These homes, I have to remind my colleagues, 
were built to high wind zone 3 specifications, so while they may not 
withstand the next hurricane--although they may--they will not tumble 
over during a storm.
  Now, we are telling FEMA to let hope travel to where it is needed 
most, from

[[Page S1581]]

Arkansas to Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.
  My legislation, the Hope Housing Act of 2006, allows manufactured 
homes bought for Katrina and Rita victims to be located in floodplains, 
protects FEMA from responsibility if the homes are subsequently 
flooded, and directs FEMA to publicize this change so people will know 
they are available.
  This is a one-time change that I believe is necessary in the face of 
what I hope will be a one-time disaster. We have people without homes 
and homes without people. Let's allow the homes to go where they are 
needed so the people in New Orleans and the gulf coast can return to 
their communities and help rebuild them. The alternative seems to be to 
let them sit and deteriorate in Hope, Arkansas.
  Mr. President, 6 months is too long to allow this nonsense to 
continue. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense solution 
that allows hurricane victims a little hope and opportunity for their 
future.
  The bottom line is that basically FEMA ordered these homes, paid for 
these homes, and now they are storing these homes, but their own 
regulation will not allow them to use them where they are most needed. 
So what our legislation does is allow FEMA to put these homes down 
where they are needed to try to get the economic cycle in New Orleans 
and the gulf coast area going again because right now the cycle is 
broken. They do not have people down there to work the jobs. They do 
not have people down there to be consumers. And the reason they do not 
have people is because they do not have a place to live.
  So I urge my colleagues to consider helping in this effort. The Hope 
Housing Act of 2006 is a very commonsense solution for this very 
critical need.
                                 ______