Barbour releases annual Katrina report

JACKSON — As the Mississippi Gulf Coast continues its recovery from Hurricane Katrina, the pace of construction has grown while the need for temporary housing subsided, according to “Katrina: Four Years After,” an annual progress report released by Gov. Haley Barbour.

“We have seen phenomenal progress on the Gulf Coast as families, businesses and communities continue to rebuild,” Barbour said. “This year, we secured funding to restore the state’s barrier islands and create a statewide communications system for use in emergencies. These were the missing pieces of the recovery puzzle. With these two goals met, everyone can focus on moving forward to bring back the Gulf Coast better than ever.”

The report features current efforts to restore housing and infrastructure, including $3.9 billion in Community Development Block Grants dedicated to meeting housing needs and more than $2.8 billion in federal funds allocated to rebuild infrastructure. The pace of rebuilding under those programs has increased dramatically in the past year.

To read the report, visit www.governorbarbour.com.

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