President Bush, who faced widespread criticism for the sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina, has pledged to implement a series of steps aimed at aiding the Gulf Coast's economic recovery. They include:
- Rebuilding of most of the region's infrastructure, including roads bridges schools and water systems
- A "Gulf Opportunity Zone" designed to spur economic growth through tax relief and loans for businesses and investors. The program will double small business expensing from $100,000 to $200,000 for investments in new equipment and provide tax relief for the building of new structures.
- Worker recovery accounts up to $5,000 to provide assistance for those who need to find work, get new training, or who lack transportation or childcare services
- An Urban Homesteading Initiative that will allow evacuees to occupy a government-owned home at a favorable mortgage rate, in exchange for their personal investment of work and improvements in the property and area. The administration will identify property in the region owned by the federal government, and provide building sites to low-income citizens free of charge, through a lottery. In return, they would pledge to build on the lot, with either a mortgage or help from a charitable organization like Habitat for Humanity.
- Additional funding for school districts enrolling significant numbers of displaced children, including funding for teacher salaries, transportation, materials and equipment, special services for children with disabilities, supplemental educational services and counseling.
- School vouchers for displaced families for enrollment in private, including parochial, schools
- Emergency assistance funds to evacuee families to pay for food clothing and other essentials
- Deployment of more than 1,500 health professionals along with over 50 tons of medical supplies, including vaccines, antibiotics and medicine for chronic conditions such as diabetes
- A temporary jobs and unemployment benefits program administered by the Department of Labor
- Deployment of environmental officials to take water samples and working to get drinking water and waste water treatment systems operating again
- Reimbursement of states that have taken in evacuees for their extra Medicaid and uncompensated care expenses incurred through Jan. 31, 2006
- Temporary housing for first responders and essential workers in New Orleans and the surrounding areas
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