United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2007-06-29 monographic deposited born digital 43 p. GA 1.13:GAO-07-809R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-809R P0b002ee180380183 f:d07809r DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-809R machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-809R GAO-07-809R Capital gains or losses Disaster recovery Disaster recovery plans Disaster relief aid Federal aid programs Federal aid to states Federal funds Federal grants Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Rita Strategic planning Federal aid for housing Block grants Cost estimates FEMA Public Assistance Program Gulf Coast HUD Community Development Block Grant Program Correspondence A71686 The size and scope of the devastation caused by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes presents the nation with unprecedented rebuilding challenges. These storms destroyed wide swaths of housing, infrastructure, and businesses and displaced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. Today, nearly two years since these hurricanes made landfall, rebuilding efforts are at a critical turning point. The Gulf Coast and the nation are facing the daunting challenges of rebuilding. Our recent work in southern Louisiana and New Orleans confirms that some communities are still without basic needs, such as schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure, while the doors of many businesses remain closed. Over the coming years, perhaps decades, many neighborhoods and communities will need to be rebuilt--some from the ground up. At the same time, major decisions will need to be made regarding a wide range of issues including coastal restoration, levee protection, infrastructure, land use, and economic recovery. Agreeing on what rebuilding will be done, where, how, and--particularly important--who will bear the costs will be key to moving forward with the rebuilding process. To assist Congress in its oversight responsibilities, GAO briefed Congress on several occasions during the past few months on the results of our preliminary work in Louisiana and Mississippi--the two states most directly affected by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes. This letter transmits information provided during those briefings. Specifically, this letter (1) places the federal assistance provided to date in the context of the resources likely needed to rebuild the Gulf Coast; (2) discusses two key federal programs that provide rebuilding assistance to the Gulf Coast states, with an emphasis on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program; (3) describes differences in Louisiana's and Mississippi's approach to using CDBG funds; and (4) provides some observations on planning activities in Louisiana and Mississippi and the role of the federal government in coordinating Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-809R/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-809R.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-809R/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-809R.pdf GAO-07-809R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-809R Correspondence GAO-07-809R; Preliminary Information on Rebuilding Efforts in the Gulf Coast; Capital gains or losses Disaster recovery Disaster recovery plans Disaster relief aid Federal aid programs Federal aid to states Federal funds Federal grants Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Rita Strategic planning Federal aid for housing Block grants Cost estimates FEMA Public Assistance Program Gulf Coast HUD Community Development Block Grant Program Volume 119 Page 2680 119 Stat. 2680 Volume 120 Page 418 120 Stat. 418 Public Law 109-234