Freddie Mac and Foundation Grantees Discuss How Families Are Coping One Year After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

On August 25, Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac Foundation hosted a teleconference with five grantees who assisted in last year’s hurricane recovery efforts to explore how Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have impacted children and families. Led by Ralph F. Boyd, Jr., executive vice president of Freddie Mac and chairman of the Freddie Mac Foundation, the conference provided an opportunity to share insights, experiences and lessons learned and to discuss what children and families faced a year ago and how hurricane victims are faring today.

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast region, the nation responded with an outpouring of caring and generosity. Less than 24 hours after Katrina struck, Freddie Mac began developing a coordinated and integrated response -- one that quickly addressed the mounting needs of lenders, servicers, homeowners and, most importantly, children and families. Together, Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac Foundation donated $10 million to 24 nonprofits meeting immediate and long-term needs of thousands of affected children and their families. Although many of these families are back on their feet, others are still struggling. The task of rebuilding the physical, economic and social infrastructure of the region continues to be enormous.

Unprecedented Challenges – and Innovative Responses

In the aftermath of the hurricanes, children and families faced massive levels of dislocation. To help reunite families, the media joined with nonprofit organizations to publicize descriptions and photographs of missing children. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children acted quickly – launching a Katrina hotline within 24-hours and organizing “Team Adam,” a group of retired law enforcement specialists that searched shelters to identify missing kids. In total, the Katrina hotline received 24,000 calls and 5,192 children were reported missing. Thanks to their efforts, and the media’s assistance, each one has been located and reunited with family members. Read one child’s reunion story.

Until the hurricanes, the National Foster Parent Association was not in the business of providing direct services. However, with so many foster families facing new challenges, they established two resource centers to directly assist struggling families. By providing everything from sheet rock for home repairs to school uniforms and furniture, they helped keep families together and return to safe homes that were able to meet the standards required of foster parents.

Before the hurricanes, Habitat for Humanity International had 20 affiliates in the four affected states. These groups had never constructed more than 60 houses a year in total; yet, after Katrina and Rita, more than 38,000 households suddenly met Habitat’s criteria for assistance. In response, Habitat launched “Operation Home Delivery,” an initiative that generated support around the country and changed the Habitat model by framing homes in other places and delivering them to the affected areas. Freddie Mac joined directly in this work by sponsoring “America Builds on the National Mall,” a large-scale Habitat build in which 51 homes were erected and shipped to the Gulf area. To date, 358 new homes have been built or are under construction in the Gulf Coast region and 154 families have moved in. Though obtaining both land and insurance is an enormous challenge in the Gulf area, Habitat is working toward a goal of completing 1,000 homes by 2007.

Signs of Hope – and Ongoing Needs

When hurricane evacuees arrived to the DC Armory, Catholic Charities Foundation of Washington, DC was there to meet them. After setting up a hotline to help reunite family members, they assisted more that 400 families in locating temporary housing and accessing health care services. After realizing that many evacuees boarded buses with no idea where they were heading, foundation staff and volunteers worked to help evacuees deal with suddenly relocating to a high cost area, where living off a welfare stipend is impossible.

Like Wanda Everett, a New Orleans native who was evacuated with her family to DC, many of the displaced hurricane victims have decided to remain in the area. However, even though immediate needs such as housing and health care have been met by organizations like Catholic Charities Foundation, ongoing assistance will be necessary to help these children and families heal.

Prior to Katrina and Rita, the Gulf Coast region was home to more than 55,000 Asians, many of whom earned a living in the boating industries. This vulnerable population was devastated by the storms, as their livelihoods and tight-knit communities were destroyed. In addition, many lacked the language proficiency to access services and, because they relied on cash savings, were left with little to no resources. Boat People SOS immediately stepped in, providing assistance to more than 1,000 families and helping Asians who could not communicate with FEMA workers to access emergency trailers. They have since launched “Return to Sea,” and initiative aimed at helping boat owners make the repairs necessary to start shrimping and fishing again. So far, seven boats are back on the water. A youth development program has also been launched, and a job-training program and homeownership education courses are coming soon.