August 2015

On the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in 2015, New Orleans' Black population remained 100,000 below its pre-storm level. The Lower Ninth Ward, predominantly Black, had recovered only 37% of its population. Road Home compensation program payments were based on pre-storm property values rather than rebuilding costs — disadvantaging homeowners in lower-value (redlined) neighborhoods. The Orleans Parish School Board used Katrina to fire 7,500 unionized — majority Black — teachers and convert to an all-charter system. Research showed Black homeowners received 46 cents per dollar of damage compared to 61 cents for white homeowners in federal recovery funds.

On the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans' Black population remained 100,000 below its pre-storm level. The Lower Ninth Ward had recovered only 37% of its population. Road Home compensation was based on pre-storm property values, disadvantaging homeowners in historically redlined neighborhoods. Black homeowners received 46 cents per dollar of damage compared to 61 cents for white homeowners in federal recovery funds.