Road Home Program Pays Black Homeowners Less Than White Neighbors

Louisiana's $10 billion Road Home program, designed to help homeowners rebuild after Katrina, calculated grants based on pre-storm property value rather than rebuilding cost. Because systemic discrimination had suppressed property values in Black neighborhoods, Black homeowners received on average $20,000 less than white homeowners with comparable storm damage. The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center sued; a 2011 HUD agreement secured $62 million in additional payments.