After Katrina

A Political Disaster By Peter Dreier
A history of discrimination and greed compounded by an ideology bent on dismantling government made the inept federal response inevitable. It’s time to bring back good government big enough to meet the people’s needs.

Picking Up The Pieces By Miriam Axel-Lute
Displaced and overwhelmed, three major organizing networks – ACORN, IAF and PICO – provided immediate aid to evacuees and began working for long-term equitable recovery. Will they be able to rise to the human and political challenges they now face?

A National Spotlight on Local Capacity By Catherine A. Smith
In the wake of Katrina’s devastation, intermediaries are creating new collaborations. But the Gulf Coast’s limited community development capacity may minimize their results.

The Shifting Landscape of New Orleans By Kenneth M. Reardon
Big-time planners are working hard to recreate the Big Easy. But if it’s going to be a better city than it was, these planners must involve poor residents as equal partners and give them a place in the new New Orleans.

Monkey See, Monkey Do By David K. Shipler
Katrina coverage spotlights the inability or unwillingness of the media to cover poverty. If the media doesn’t report on it, can we expect the public to understand it?

Designing a Socially Just Downtown By Alex Salazar
A grassroots coalition in Oakland used its organizing and design skills to produce a housing proposal the city couldn’t refuse, despite the mayor’s stiff opposition.

Frank Wilkinson's Legacy By Peter Dreier and Jan Breidenbach
Remembering an advocate whose belief in decent affordable housing led to a life devoted to the preservation of our civil liberties.