American public housing authorities have been quick to respond in providing help to thousands of hurricane victims. The destruction of both Hurricane Katrina and Rita forced thousands of Gulf Coast residents to flee their homes and seek refuge in Houston and cities nationwide. Public Housing Authority of the City of Houston has followed through on a commitment to provide critical assistance to those residents displaced by these disasters. Due to the agency's efforts, thousands of displaced residents have secured temporary housing and found hope in the midst of tragedy. Across the country, public housing authorities have been offering available housing and vouchers, sending staff to Houston to help with the administrative workload to meet peoples? most basic needs. New Orleans public housing operations shut down "due to security and safety concerns" and relocated its offices to Texas. Every response for housing the thousands who remain in temporary shelters relies in large part on public housing authorities. The agencies have the infrastructure and experience to play an integral part in relocation efforts. Every public housing authority across the nation is committed to meeting the needs of all evacuees for as long as necessary.
Chicago and New Orleans have come together for a great cause - affordable housing. Federal Home Loan Banks, and their member financial institutions, can lend a hand to local public housing authorities across the country to create more affordable housing opportunities. The nation will still have to pay attention to the next round of needs: rebuilding, development, the impact of major population shifts on housing markets. That's where housing authorities really come into play.
The largest public housing authority in the nation, The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles is a State-chartered public agency that provides the largest stock of affordable housing in the Los Angeles area. The Housing Authority gets the majority of its funding through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Public housing authority in the city of New York is the largest public housing authority in North America. The New York City Housing Authority provides decent and affordable housing in a safe and secure living environment for low- and moderate-income residents. NYCHA works to enhance the quality of life by offering the residents opportunities to participate in community, educational and recreational programs, as well as job readiness and training initiatives.
As for Chicago, its public housing authority is planning to rebuild and modernize the nation's third-largest public housing system. The city's public housing is undergoing a thorough renewal. 25,000 apartments for families and senior citizens are being redeveloped or rehabilitated. The city's housing authority is creating new mixed-income communities by the isolation of public housing residents, for people of all economic backgrounds to live as neighbors.
To ensure its success, public housing authorities need every member of the community working along.