Louisiana Road Home Program

BAYOU BLUE

A grief support group meeting is scheduled from 2 to 3 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month.

For information, call 580-0634.

SLECA news: As a reminder to customers, South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association members now have the option of paying their bills online. For information, call 876-6880.

Sing-a-long: The Open House Gospel Sing-a-Long is scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m. the last Friday of each month through October at the SLECA building, 2028 Coteau Road, Houma. Admission is free. If you have any questions, call James Lee Savoie at 868-1819 or 217-7949.

Anyone wishing to play an instrument or sing along is invited.

The summer recreation program for 5- to 12-year-olds continues from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through July 14 and July 18-21. Registration is free. The program is free and children register the first day of attendance. For information, call the Bayou Blue Recreation Center at 872-2175.

Senior Center: Exercise classes are scheduled from 9 to 10 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays at the Bayou Blue Senior Citizens Center, 201 Mazerac St. For information, call the center’s manager, Frances Lester, at 876-1346.

A casino trip is held the first Wednesday of the month. The center’s regular birthday/luncheon celebration is set for the third Tuesday of each month.

Church news: The youths of St. Louis Catholic Church are holding an indoor garage sale July 23 in the church’s parish hall, 2226 Bayou Blue Road. Due to vacation Bible school, held in the hall, the youths will not be able to accept any donations until after Monday. For information, call 876-6686.

The youths are holding a free car wash from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. To make a pledge, call the office at 876-6686. The amount of cars will be capped at 100. All proceeds will help fund Steubenville and NCYC.

Christian Host Homes are needed if you would like to share your home with young teens from more than 30 countries. The teens have insurance, spending money and will attend high school closest to their host home next school year. For information, call 800-941-3738 or visit www.sharesouthwest.org

Individuals with pre-existing conditions who have been uninsured for six months may now find it easier to obtain coverage through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan. For information or to apply for coverage, call 1-866-717-5826 or visit www.pcip.gov

Matthew and Daniel Duplantis, sons of Denise and Joey Duplantis, received the Diocesan Leadership Award June 7.

Justice Roars: Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against Louisiana ...

Today a federal court of appeals issued a ruling explaining its decision to set aside preliminary injunctions previously granted against the State of Louisiana regarding its administration of the Road Home program. The preliminary injunctions were granted at the request of two fair housing groups and African American homeowners in New Orleans who filed suit on behalf of families displaced in the wake of hurricanes Rita and Katrina. The plaintiffs have argued that the formula used to award grants under the Road Home program - under which African-Americans were more likely than whites to receive grants based on pre-storm home values rather than the cost of repair - was discriminatory. Therefore, we requested and received temporary relief from the court to prevent the discriminatory effects of the formula from harming more families. Today's decision states that we have not yet provided enough evidence to convince this court that we would ultimately prevail. However, the decision sends the case back to the lower court and gives plaintiffs the opportunity to seek additional evidence to prove their case. Thus, the case is not over and we will continue to pursue relief for the thousands of families affected. We are pleased to hear that state officials share our commitment to reaching a resolution that benefits families without the need for further litigation. And we pledge to continue working with state and federal officials toward that end. The Road Home case, styled as Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center v. HUD, alleges that the formula used to allocate grants to homeowners has a discriminatory impact on African-American homeowners. Program data show that African-Americans are more likely than whites to have their Road Home grants based upon the pre-storm market value of their homes, rather than the estimated cost to repair damage. The Plaintiffs in this case are five African-American homeowners in New Orleans representing a potential class of thousands of African-American homeowners and two fair housing organizations, the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center and the National Fair Housing Alliance. Plaintiffs are represented by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, the National Fair Housing Alliance and Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale & Dorr.

Louisiana's Katrina Recovery Fiasco, Who's Really Getting the Money?

Disaster Assistance, Federal Assistance for Permanent Housing Primarily Benefited Homeowners; Opportunities Exist to Better Target Rental Housing Needs

Gulf Coast Disaster Recovery, Community Development Block Grant Program Guidance to States Needs to be Improved

Health Issues in the Black Community

Floodlines, Community and Resistance from Katrina to the Jena Six