WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Houston residents continue to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law released a resource guide to assist survivors struggling with housing, education, employment and other needs.
The newly-released Hurricane Harvey Disaster Recovery Manual also provides critical information for displaced Houston residents on voting. With elections occurring on Tuesday throughout the state, it is important that voters displaced by Hurricane Harvey have the information they need to exercise their right to vote.
“Natural disasters affect all Americans, but have an even starker effect on vulnerable communities, including low-income minority communities,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “We must be vigilant to ensure equity in the delivery of relief and recovery support offered to hurricane-impacted communities. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is committed to providing disaster relief assistance to victims of Hurricane Harvey through the recovery manual we are releasing today and through our continued work across the state of Texas.”
In creating the Hurricane Harvey Disaster Recovery Manual, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law drew from its past work in response to hurricanes including Hurricane Katrina when it launched the Disaster Survivors Legal Assistance Initiative. That initiative focused on the housing needs of displaced victims in low income and minority communities most affected by the devastation. Similarly, preliminary data compiled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following Hurricane Harvey indicates that low-income communities were more affected by the storm and face significant housing challenges going forward.
The Hurricane Harvey Disaster Recovery Manual can be found here.
The newly-released Hurricane Harvey Disaster Recovery Manual also provides critical information for displaced Houston residents on voting. With elections occurring on Tuesday throughout the state, it is important that voters displaced by Hurricane Harvey have the information they need to exercise their right to vote.
“Natural disasters affect Americans from coast to coast, but have an especially harmful and disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations, particularly in communities of color,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is committed to providing disaster relief assistance to victims of Hurricane Harvey through the recovery manual we are releasing today and through our continued work throughout the state of Texas.”
In creating the Hurricane Harvey Disaster Recovery Manual, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law drew from its past work in response to hurricanes including Hurricane Katrina when it launched the Disaster Survivors Legal Assistance Initiative. That initiative focused on the housing needs of displaced victims in low income and minority communities most affected by the devastation. Similarly, preliminary data compiled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following Hurricane Harvey indicates that low-income communities were more affected by the storm and face significant housing challenges going forward.
The Hurricane Harvey Disaster Recovery Manual can be found here.
About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. Now in its 54th year, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is continuing its quest “Move America Toward Justice.” The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and voting rights.
