In this report:
- Acknowledgements
- Executive Summary
- Introduction
- Part I - Demographic Trends in Katrina-Affected Areas and Their Impact on the 2010 Census
- Part II - Census Procedures and Operational Challenges to Getting an Accurate Count in the Aftermath of a Catastrophe
- Part III - Operational and Policy Recommendations for a More Accurate 2010 Census in the Gulf Coast
- Appendix A
Housing
A number of housing indicators correlate with high HTC scores and therefore a higher risk of people being missed in the census. Those indicators include the percentage of vacant housing; percentage of households that are occupied by renters rather than owners; and the percentage of households without telephone service. ACS data from 2007 demonstrate that storm-driven changes in all these factors will complicate the task of getting an accurate count in the Gulf Coast region.
In addition, because the census is an address-based process, continuous changes in the housing stock make it more challenging to compile an accurate and up-to-date list of addresses that will be counted. That is true both for the devastating loss of homes and for the rapid growth in housing stock brought about by ongoing recovery and redevelopment.
Housing Unit Estimates
| 2000 Census | July 2005 (Pre-Storm) | 2006 | 2007 | July 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 1,847,181 | 1,940,438 | 1,814,405 | 1,859,407 | 1,883,167 |
| Orleans Parish | 215,091 | 213,137 | 97,606 | 111,752 | 114,426 |
| St. Bernard | 26,790 | 27,292 | 5,854 | 8,396 | 8,602 |
| Plaquemines | 10,481 | 11,290 | 8,558 | 8,680 | 8,867 |
| Jefferson | 187,907 | 192,373 | 180,254 | 180,704 | 181,328 |
| Mississippi | 1,161,953 | 1,235,269 | 1,229,716 | 1,247,949 | 1,267,231 |
| Hancock | 21,072 | 23,531 | 16,466 | 17,859 | 19,009 |
| Harrison | 79,636 | 88,138 | 74,105 | 76,634 | 80,920 |
| Jackson | 51,678 | 56,732 | 54,320 | 55,784 | 57,159 |
| Alabama | 1,963,711 | 2,081,710 | 2,109,716 | 2,137,371 | 2,158,576 |
| Mobile County | 165,101 | 174,746 | 176,394 | 178,775 | 180,851 |
| Baldwin County | 74,285 | 89,911 | 96,402 | 101,791 | 103,813 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Almost half of all homes in Greater New Orleans were damaged or destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, with the number of housing units in Orleans Parish plummeting from an estimated 213,137 in July 2005 to 97,606 a year later.22 The dramatic loss of housing units – still 100,000 below pre-storm levels in New Orleans in 2008 – highlights the scope of displacement and dislocation after the storm and, from a census perspective, makes it difficult to classify addresses and locate people living in temporary housing, including unmarked apartments in others' homes and above business enterprises.
At the same time, continuing redevelopment is leading to higher than average growth in housing stock in the hardest hit counties. The number of housing units in Orleans Parish rose by about 2,700 between July 2007 and July 2008 to about 114,400, an annual increase of about 2.5 percent. That is about twice the rate for Louisiana overall (1.3 percent) and well above the national increase in housing stock of about one percent. Hancock and Harrison Counties show increases of around six percent from 2007 to 2008. This rapid growth, while an important indicator of the city's continuing recovery, also presents the Census Bureau with the particularly challenging task of capturing ongoing changes in the address list between now and spring 2010.
Katrina also wiped out nearly four-fifths of the homes in St. Bernard Parish. The pre-Katrina estimate was 27,292 housing units, a number that dropped to an estimated 5,854 units a year later. The Census Bureau estimated that the number of housing units grew to 8,395 in July 2007, the highest rate of growth for any county in the U.S. that year. Between July 2007 and July 2008, the county added a little more than 200 units to reach an estimated 8,602.
The estimated number of housing units in Plaquemines Parish fell from 11,290 before the storm in 2005, to 8,558 in 2006, and rose slowly in 2007 and 2008. Difficulties in obtaining homeowners flood insurance in this exceptionally low-lying parish undoubtedly has contributed to the dearth of rebuilding and new construction.
In Alabama, the housing unit estimate for Mobile County actually rose from 174,746 in July 2005 to 176,394 in July 2006, and continued to increase in 2007, reflecting a less-severe long term impact of the hurricane in that state. However, higher post-storm vacancy rates suggest that some people displaced from damaged homes have not been able to return yet.
Next Section: Vacant Housing Units
22. Turner, Margery Austin, Barika X. Williams, Glenn Kates, Susan J. Popkin, and Carol Rabenhorst, Affordable Rental Housing in Healthy Communities: Rebuilding After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Urban Institute, Washington, DC, August 2007.
