NEW ORLEANS -- United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today toured the New Orleans Region with the cabinet secretaries in charge of housing and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They reviewed the recovery effort on the ground at Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO), the St. Bernard Project and the Abundance Square housing community.

Senator Landrieu joined Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano, Governor Bobby Jindal and Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, and other elected officials on the tour. The new FEMA Administrator nominee, Craig Fugate, accompanied the group at Abundance Square.

"I did not have to ask twice for the new Secretaries Donovan and Napolitano to come to our region," Sen. Landrieu said. "The commitment of the new administration to our region is evident in these Secretaries immediately getting their eyes on the ground and hearing from hurricane-impacted communities. "The Secretaries today announced new and creative programs to permanently house vulnerable populations and efforts to unclog FEMA recovery dollars. I will continue working with HUD and FEMA to spur our recovery.

"I also met with Craig Fugate today, President Obama's strong choice to head FEMA. My Disaster Recovery Subcommittee will work with him to ensure FEMA is the quick and effective agency our country needs when disaster strikes." SUNO is adjacent to Pontchartrain Park. The 2005 storms significantly damaged all 11 buildings at the Park Campus. Nearly four years after the storms, it is still struggling to rebuild. The St. Bernard Project is a non-profit that has helped nearly 200 residents of the parish to restore their homes. The officials visited the home of Lawrence Scurich, a Navy veteran and former postal employee.

"Today was an important day because our leaders in Washington now know who the real victims of the storm are: hard-working, taxpaying American citizens," said Zack Rosenburg, director of the St. Bernard Project.

"Today was a wonderful opportunity to join Senator Landrieu and ensure that our leaders in Washington know two important things: that there is a lot of work left to go and that the problems are solvable."

Abundance Square is a HUD-funded, HOPE VI project that was completely destroyed by floodwaters but has been largely rebuilt. At today's press conference at the newly-built housing site, Secretary Donovan announced programs to implement the $73 million in low-income housing vouchers that Senator Landrieu secured in a Supplemental appropriations spending bill Congress passed last summer. The 3,000 vouchers were intended for the elderly and disabled and others at risk of homelessness. One of the programs is a five-year, $50 million endeavor to provide project-based, permanent supportive housing to about 1,000 Katrina and Rita-impacted homeless individuals and families living with disabilities, such as serious mental illness. The remaining $23 million will be directed to the Louisiana Recovery Authority for shelter-plus-care rental assistance vouchers to house about 2,000 elderly and disabled disaster victims.

"This $73 million in vouchers means much-needed help to keep our most vulnerable population off the street," Sen. Landrieu said. "We worked since the storms to get these vouchers to our seniors and disabled, and I will continue working with Secretary Donovan as he implements these new programs." Secretary Donovan also announced $438 million in Gustav and Ike long-term recovery funding for Louisiana. Senator Landrieu and the Louisiana delegation included this funding in the Continuing Resolution that has funded the government since October. The federal funds will support workforce rental housing, commercial and agricultural businesses, and coastal restoration.

"Today, we turn the page and start a new chapter in the federal partnership with communities throughout Louisiana," Secretary Donovan said. "HUD will work very closely with our counterparts at the state and local level to make certain families can continue to live and work in the Bayou State, whether it's producing affordable rental housing, supporting our most vulnerable citizens, or stimulating the state's employment base."

Secretary Napolitano also today announced that FEMA will provide replacement funding for Police Stations #5 and # 7 and Fire Station #36 in New Orleans, all of which were destroyed by the 2005 storms.

FEMA also approved $12 million to help repair the St. Bernard Parish Water Treatment Plant. The 2005 hurricanes devastated about 19,000, or about 78 percent, of the homes in St. Bernard Parish. The plant's destruction resulted in the transportation of sewage by truck for offsite treatment. Sen. Landrieu has been working since the storms to get the plant completely repaired. FEMA will also provide $2.9 million to Benjamin Franklin High School to help fix remaining damage.

"Our commitment to the Gulf Coast remains unwavering and our determination to bring to completion many of the projects is still underway," Secretary Napolitano said. "A lot of progress has been made to help the region recover, but it is abundantly clear that there are still areas where progress has stalled, bureaucracy has set-in, and people continue to struggle. My goal is to eliminate the red tape, help rebuild now and rebuild the region stronger than ever."

Napolitano announced the creation of two joint review teams, comprised of FEMA and state officials that will work to resolve Public Assistance disputes. Also to unclog the $1.5 billion in disputes, Sen. Landrieu included in the economic recovery package a provision creating an Arbitration Panel to work out differences between the state and FEMA. The panel will have authority to determine eligibility and scope of work for proposed projects.

Additionally, Napolitano announced that FEMA will extend the Relocation Assistance Program to May 1, 2009. Families that were displaced by Katrina and Rita are eligible for up to $4,000 in reimbursement for relocation expenses through this program.