Homestead Bill Would Aid Katrina Victims

Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., has introduced a homestead bill that would give low-income Katrina victims title to vacant government land so they can build new homes."This legislation will help us begin to rebuild New Orleans and other areas destroyed by the hurricanes and flooding, providing a fresh start for families victimized by this tragedy," Sen. Allard said. The Bush administration supports the Allard bill, which would allow the Department of Housing and Urban Development to use foreclosed Federal Housing Administration properties for the new homesteading program. After removing the debris from the home sites, HUD and local governments would work with Habitat for Humanity, mortgage lenders, and other partners to help the homesteaders construct new homes. "President Bush and I believe that homesteading is an important part of a long-term recovery strategy for the Gulf Coast region," HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson said.