Post-Katrina focus turns to home ownership |September 19, 2005|
Bush's plans call for Urban Homesteading Act By Jessica Swesey
President Bush is promoting home ownership in the wake of
Hurricane Katrina with plans for an Urban Homesteading Act,
which would make some federally owned land free to eligible low-
income families through a lottery. In return, the families would
pledge to build homes on the lots with either a mortgage or help
from a charitable organization like Habitat for Humanity. Bush
unveiled the homesteading plans Thursday during his address to
the nation from Jackson Square, New Orleans, saying, "When the
houses are rebuilt, more families should own, not rent, those
houses." "Home ownership is one of the great strengths of any
community, and it must be a central part of our vision for the
revival of this region," Bush said in prepared remarks. The
administration has yet to reveal how much land is available for
the homesteading initiative or how families will be eligible.
Critics of the plan hav