In a letter to Nagin, Moe urged the mayor to reconsider a commission recommendation suggesting that building permits not be issued for the construction and reconstruction of buildings in areas hit by severe flooding. He wrote that withholding permits would prevent the area from becoming inhabitable and would “deal a very serious blow to the recovery momentum which is now beginning to build all over the city.”
“At the very least, I would urge that building permits be allowed in the city's 19 National Register Historic Districts, which contain 38,000 historic structures” he wrote.” We have concluded that every single one of these historic districts can and should be rebuilt, and that the overwhelming majority of damaged structures within their boundaries can be repaired. These are the Creole cottages, shotgun houses and historic bungalows that constitute the heart and soul of New Orleans. These are the neighborhoods most important to the identity of New Orleans, and they must be allowed to lead the city's neighborhood recovery effort.”
Through its hurricane recovery efforts, the National Trust is working to ensure that residents of affected communities throughout the Gulf Coast region can come home to healthy, vibrant, livable places. As part of these efforts, the National Trust started the National Trust Hurricane Recovery Fund to support on-the-ground work in the region, including the work of the National Trust Disaster Preservation Assessment teams. To date, the fund has raised more than $1,000,000.
The organization also is working with Congress to pass a legislative package that would include targeted sources of federal and state funding for the preservation of storm-damaged structures; adjusted tax credit incentives for restoring damaged historic buildings; and a historic homeowner credit for qualified rehabilitation expenses made by historic homeowners in the Hurricane Disaster Area.
