APA Policy and Legislation on Katrina

Watch this page for periodic updates as APA continues to work with our partners on legislative advances. Please help us as we help our lawmakers in crafting legislation that assists individuals and communities in such dire need. Send us your reactions and ideas. Responses by members will be posted on the APA website. Consistent with APA publications policy, they may not be anonymous.

Click here to send your responses to APA

Click here to read members' responses

APA has participated in a variety of hearings, conferences, and meetings on the federal response to Katrina. APA Executive Director Paul Farmer, AICP, testified on Capitol Hill in mid-October and highlighted the association's positions and expertise. Here is a roundup of APA legislative and policy activities.

There are three major types of bills on which APA is offering policy advice and coordinating allied organizations' support:

• Creation of a federal oversight body such as a commission to help direct funds and provide a channel for recovery over the coming years.
• Specific bills dealing with transportation, housing, environment and other specific impacts
• Bills that aim to improve the laws dealing with disaster recovery and response in general including funding for local planning.

The major messages and policies to shape a comprehensive response are found in the following documents:

Paul Farmer's Capitol Hill testimony

APA Board of Directors: Statement in Response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Katrina-related APA Policy Guides:

Cultural and Historic Resources
Smart Growth
Energy
Surface Transportation
Housing
Security
Neighborhood Collaborative Planning
Waste Management
Planning for Sustainability
Water Resources
Redevelopment

Bills with APA involvement include:

H.R. 3524 (Blumenauer)

H.R. 4100 (Baker)

Other bills being tracked

APA has collaborated with other organizations in drafting principles:

National Trust for Historic Preservation

American Institute of Architects

This page will be updated as the legislative package becomes more refined and clearer over the next few weeks. APA is working hard to represent our principles, local talent, and long-term commitment to this historic effort.