The organization's friends, supporters and visitors will meet Lower 9th Ward survivors, Common Ground volunteers, view innovative relief projects and witness current construction efforts in the neighborhood. Other highlights include a presentation by special guest Ed Blunt (www.bluntartistry.com), a world famous actor and motivational speaker on both Wednesday and Thursday. Poets and spoken word artists will also share their talents.

Refreshments and music will be provided as well, as a big "Thank You Fest" is scheduled for the attendees on Thursday. Common Ground Relief will host this event in order to give thanks for its volunteer workers and to the residents who have kept the organization active, viable and effective since its birth days after Katrina in 2005.

Common Ground, a local, grassroots, all volunteer non-profit, co-founded by three individuals, including two who are natives and long term residents of New Orleans, has grown to 40 fulltime volunteer coordinators, organizers and project leaders. More than 14,000 migratory volunteers from 50 states and 15 countries have come to work with its various community projects since its inception.

They include health care workers, community organizers, skilled laborers, computer technicians, legal and housing rights advocates, alternative energy producers, organic gardeners and farmers, sustainable and green development advocates and practitioners etc., who have assisted New Orleans area residents since Sept. 5, 2005.

Common Ground is currently embarking on providing to as well as assisting residents in the development of energy efficient, hurricane resistant housing. The group has served over 180,000 residents with a variety of direct and indirect services in and around the city of New Orleans.

To learn more, visit www.commongroundrelief.org or email Sakura Kone' at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Demolitions planned for mid-December

HUD and the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) told the federal court in a phone conference Nov. 15 that they are STARTING DEMOLITION ON ALL FOUR HOUSING COMPLEXES IN MID-DECEMBER.

In the same phone conference, U.S. Judge Ivan Lemelle announced he was not going to stop any of the demolition of public housing in New Orleans. The lawyers will work on an appeal.

A coalition of groups has called a meeting for Saturday, Nov. 24, 11 a.m., at Loyola Law School, 526 Pine St., New Orleans, to respond.

The City Council Housing Subcommittee meets Nov. 19 at 10:30 at City Hall.

The human right to housing will be defended!

For additional information on next steps, contact Audrey Stewart at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Urgent message to those in FEMA trailers and mobile homes from Kirby Sommers

Please spread this information to anyone you know who has been living in one of these toxic homes: The statute of limitations for suing FEMA is ONE YEAR from the time you learn you have been living in toxic and potentially life threatening environment. SEEK AN ATTORNEY TO SPEAK WITH IMMEDIATELY. FEMA is hoping time will elapse and you won't have the time to file lawsuits.

This is an urgent matter. Attorneys take on cases like this on contingency basis - meaning you don't pay for anything until after the case is won. Do not wait on this. Contact an attorney in your area immediately, and please try to find a safe place to live.

Urgent: 5,000 survivor families may lose rental assistance

Five thousand families who have been receiving rental assistance through FEMA are at risk of losing that help this month. IF YOU HAVE BEEN RECEIVING RENTAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH FEMA AND HAVE NOT SIGNED UP FOR THE NEW DHAP PROGRAM UNDER HUD, YOU MUST DO IT NOW! This is a public service announcement by Kirby Sommers

HUD officials have been unable to locate about 5,000 hurricane survivor families nationally who are eligible for continued rental benefits under the DHAP program. About 1,000 of those families are estimated to be in the Houston area.

If you have been receiving rent assistance under the FEMA housing programs, you are probably qualified to continue getting that help when the FEMA programs transfer to the HUD DHAP program on Dec. 1.

FEMA stopped making rent payments this month, so that assistance has ended under the FEMA program. You may know it as the CLC program - Corporate Lodging Consultants has been the contractor paying much of that rental assistance under FEMA.

If you have not yet signed up for DHAP, you must do it promptly to make sure you do not lose that benefit when the new DHAP program starts next month. Remind other hurricane survivor families to register for DHAP if they have not already done so.

Here are numbers you can call to verify that you qualify for the HUD DHAP program, and to help you sign up for the new program: The FEMA toll-free line at 1-800-621-3362 can tell you if you are eligible. Please pass on to everyone you know across the country.

The Hurricane Information Relief Network is the Bay View newspaper's nonprofit 501(c)(3) project to provide information and news coverage by, for and about the Katrina survivors who remain stranded across the U.S. and those who want to return home to rebuild their lives and communities. Send news and financial contributions to HRIN, EIN 20-4324012, 4917 Third St., San Francisco CA 94124, (415) 671-0789 or toll free 1 (877) 226-8100, fax (415) 671-0316 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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