Bill clinton, Mitch Landrieu, and faith advocates who helped the city recover are all expected to take part. The event is hosted by journalist solid at obrien soledad obrien. The event should be Getting Started shortly. We will take you there live. Until then, we want to you part of a daylong conference hosted by the atlantic, examining new orleans 10 years after katrina. This discussion includes the state of new Orleans Housing and neighborhood development. We will show you as much as we we cantrol alive control the live event get started. Hello. Bennett from the atlantic. Our next conversation is going to be about housing and neighborhood development. During katrina, i think about 70 of all homes were damaged and more than 400,000 people were displaced. Families that have been living in some neighborhoods or for generations saw their neighborhoods uninhabitable overnight. We have seen the largest Housing Recovery Program and a history of the nation, i think. About 80 whatis was before the storm. How has the housing changed . How has the neighborhood changed . Where might further development take new orleans in the future . We have a really great group here to discuss. We have the cochairman for the board of directors and the ceo of hri properties, a National Developer headquartered in new orleans. Ng other roles, he chairs he cochairs excuse me the Housing Task Force committee during the mayors transition. To his right is a president of the urban institute, our partner in this event. She was previously a deputy toistant for Economic Policy the president , deputy of the National Economic council. Before that, she held a role at the partner of urban housing and development. The other cochairman of the Mayors Task Force on housing during the transition. James perry, who is also the former executive director of the greater new orleans fair Housing Action center. A role where he won several large settlements on behalf of people whose homes were damaged. Lets start with you. And sort of the big picture called mayor has and we have heard some of this isin today new orleans the leading laboratory for social change. I recognize that language is not universally popular. But it is a way to express what happened here. And what is your view of how that has played out in housing, has the experiment been a success . Let me start off with a vignette, we are a rather large firm. Lost our employees homes. To apartment houses, we moved our offices there. I think the third or fourth day after the storm, my president fori outlined a budget louisiana. We could not get anybody on the phone. Gettingd and ended up up with the mayors chief officer. A proposal for help to the city, including housing. And we concluded that the federal government was likely, we needed it, to send down a great big bundle of housing. We were concerned that they would reconstitute trade poverty. We suggested that we change all the rules to allow for funding of mixed income housing. 1112ed up getting billion, and they carved out a 6 Million Program which they call the piggyback program. We focused on new orleans right after, and ended up building about 1000 homes in that program. I will leave it there. We can continue. Did you ever doubt we would be rebuilt here . I was a bit of a talking head. With aemember jostling fellow from alaska that we would not get any money. One of the serious questions was whether the federal government would grace us with the funding we need. We ended up getting about 142 federal 50 from the insurance. And during the early days, we did not know what was coming. If it did not come, we would not be having this conference right now. James, if i could come to you, how do you think the character of the city and is neighborhoods are different today than it was before the storm . The redevelopment that has taken place. James it is dramatic. , and i back up the obviously we chatted about this a bit backstage, the language that the mayor uses referring to the city as a laboratory, it is language a lot of people do reject. I am not sure people uniformly agree with this idea that the city is a laboratory. Certainly ple when their lives are in danger and at stake, and they are struggling to recover, i think they struggle with that language. That said, i think the numbers in some cases tell the tale of how different the city is. Certainly, Home Ownership is much more affordable before the storm. It is very difficult to afford the purchase of the home at this stage. Rentals were much more affordable. It is also true that a number of neighborhoods were more integrated before the storm. And it is also true that because of the dramatic change in public housing, it simply was a different city. That 100,000 africanamerican residents have been displaced. We have to presume that those residents have a very Important Role in a culture and the makeup of the city. Who it is. Is it better or worse . I think it is a different question. Is it the same . Certainly not. It is a different city, and i think that we are all interested and excited to see the future. But it is different. City is the exceptional in so many ways. But how different are the patterns of habitation that we are seeing from what we are seeing nationally and across the country . Sara let me just say one thing. I am not an expert in new orleans. And im here with folks who are. At the national level, we look at data and trends here locally we rely very much on the data team. Nd we have a network of partnerships and they are rock stars. We rely on that. If you look at the larger picture, you would have to remember the data of housing communities, you look at places where people live. Ad neighborhood and place, lot of the information tells us these days it has confirmed what we instantly know. Places where people have built, the neighborhoods that were so deeply disrupted by katrina, places also where people access opportunity. And we have an opportunity here to build a city which does a better job of creating access to the infrastructure that helps people strengthen their lives and improve it. That said, as you suggested, disasters tend to accelerate things that are already happening to places. And in this case, new orleans was already suffering from a population decline. It was suffering from serious challenges of affordability for housing, and it was already suffering from income disparity. All of those grew worse for the crisis. And when you look at the trajectory that new orleans is on now, the big challenge they face looking forward, they are challenges that also our National Across many of the other cities. We see acrossties the country. Again, rising rental housing cost. Growing income disparity, a real gulf between what it costs to support rental Home Ownership. And unfortunately the stagnant wages where jobs are being created, they are not in the places that will support housing. New orleans is a city of neighborhoods. Most cities are. But we really have some interesting neighborhoods. Everybody in the world knows that. Storm, the money that i it did not come in and initially. There was a great number of years of lag, it was possible it could have been wasted, so that was a good thing. Neighborhood groups frustrated by not getting the funds they needed banded together and started to plan. Planned andnd planned. An International City planners said new orleans is where i want to be. So they came in. We had a topdown and bottomup planning strategy. And when the money started to flow, these neighborhoods started to prove. I am one that believes new orleans is a far better city that was before katrina. And moving in the right direction, we are not there. But you have to look at housing in the context of overall, as you say, it serves as a place of improvement. It is a tale of two cities. Someone said the other day that we have 18,000 people waiting for vouchers for public housing. And if you opened up the book today, you might have another 50,000. The roll has been closed since 2012. So those are staggering numbers. Of people that are in need, paying too much percentage of their income. To that extent, we have been serious wraps is more in many cities in the country. But it only indicated what is happening over the country. Sara before the crisis, there was an affordable unit for very low income people currently one out of every three people in need. Today, that number is one out of every four. Assistance housing thought it would be zero. So to ask a stupid question, another one, james, this sounds like an opportunity for developer. There is tremendous demand, rent is very high relative to income. There is a lot of demand for housing stock. Isnt the right stop getting created . James let because. It is a tale of two cities. There are neighborhoods that are just doing remarkably well. And there are some neighborhoods that could be doing better. But it is also true that neighborhoods like the lower ninth ward could not be doing worse. Of looking at a community with so much demand know, so much you opportunity for developing in the housing, i think the gottenges that we have to a point where there is a huge amount of need. But as has been mentioned, wages are stagnant. In the community, they are not rising. Need for morehis housing, but there is not enough capital to meet the demand. Way thatnk the only be can cause more housing to built his government subsidy. And the greatest challenge in this political environment, it is extremely unlikely there will be dramatic government subsidy to build enough housing in new orleans. But probably anywhere in the nation, to meet the Affordable Housing need. Cities we talked about, and i want to emphasize that. New orleans is on the right to directory. What we do in the next 10 years will tell whether we reach a selfsustaining climate. I think we are headed that way. It will take work. Perspective,loper we do both affordable and market rate. What we are here it is because new orleans is a series of interesting neighborhoods, it is attracting people all over the country to come live here. It is also bringing in people from the region. So in orleans parish, 400,000 area, in the metropolitan you are seeing a great demand for housing. A if your developer, it is good economy. You are seeing a lot of product been developed in the neighborhoods that you can see right from this hotel. On the flip side, the numbers are anywhere near what the head 70,000department says, people in need of affordable places, you are talking about ofs say you need a check 70,000. Do the math. Multiply that out, that is a 5 billion shortfall. James is right that the city which does not have any largess and financing, the state has a tremendous debt. Federal dollars have been spent, and we really have a challenge i think we need to take our case to washington. Maybe you can tell us how to do that. [laughter] sara first of all, across the country there is this challenge income or aderate low income family can afford to pay in rent. But what cost to pay for a new unit. Why is in the market responding . There isven though need, there is not income. You can only produce so much, there is not enough demand. They are doingk is try to move the income spectrum down. But to get to the needs of moderate income people, you need to have more subsidy. The cost code, we talk about that in health care. How do we lower the trajectory . Bending the cost curve on housing is i think a huge conversation we will have to have. How do we make it less expensive to produce more units so we can the gap between income. We have to work on the income side. While it is too enormous credit that a city who lost more than 100,000 people, and which went through what the city did is creating a lot of jobs. Those jobs tend to be in the service sector. Tourism, and not in the places that produce a higher income. Putting more income as well as lowering the cost of the units as be part of the conversation. I like to go quickly to the audience. There is one. I am a small rental property owner. And i want to say that everyone always concentrate on a formal housing, but neglects to mention how the Small Rental Property Program has basically become with prohibitive insurance, taxes, and utilities eating up the meager profits. It is a state charity i am providing. What can be done to help people in a situation . About the Small Rental Property Program set up the go home program. What can be done to help landlords who participate in the program . And i will start by saying that i agree that the program inherent to your question, i agree that the program is a disaster. It is a terrible set up. And it did not help very many people. And i think that it was not helpful unfortunately to renters and landlords who sought to help them. And im somewhat removed from the program at this point. So i am not sure whether or not landlords can get out of the program. But what i recommend you do is contact my former office, the phone number is 5962100. They do have a program that has worked extensively to get that program to work well. Unfortunately, no one is successful. Hopefully, they can help you to find a way to get out of it. Two key insights to that question. Most of the folks who rent do not rent from complex owners. They rent from small owners, someone who owns an individual home or multiunit property. And figuring out how to provide capital to keep that going is a huge problem nationwide. But especially new orleans which has a lower Home Ownership rate. Homeomeowners we do have, ownership has been available at a lot of income levels. A lot of owneroccupied levels for very moderate income families, they have very tight access to credit. Which we have had since the mortgage crisis. Thatwners, neighbor is went through stress have horrible troubles refinancing their homes. We are starting to see a tiny bit of listening. But nowhere are we near to the mortgage market. That would bring capital into the norber neighborhoods. The idea behind the Small Landlord Program was that for all the people on the single and double properties of the historic shotguns, they have the opportunity for them to at least get some of the recovery money and be able to rebuild their homes. That something councilperson head has pushed on. She was forceful about the idea that the recovery money for rental properties all went to big developers. Ke have to find a matj it work for mom and pop. To see it work so poorly for landlords, i share your frustration. Frustration,the im afraid that is where we have to leave things. This is a conversation we will pick up in various ways over the course of the day. It is obviously such a core issue, and presents so many interesting and compelling questions about what the city is going to look like in 10 years. So thank you all, very much. [applause] we now take you live to the king center in new orleans for the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of hurricane katrina. For president bill clinton, mayor Mitch Landrieu, all pro expected to dissipate. Live coverage on cspan. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, john with dumpster funk. Welcome tog and katrina 10 the power of community. Presented by the Rockefeller Foundation and the city of new orleans. Our host is not only an awardwinning journalist, she is a mentor, philanthropist, and a true friend to the Crescent City. Ladies and gentlemen, please s soledadrs. Sola obrien. Obrien hello new orleans. Good evening everybody. Welcome to the power of community. I am soledad obrien. I cannot tell you how honored i am to be with you this evening. Many of you might know me from my work as a journalist. But i would like to share with you about my connection to new orleans. 10 years ago, i was here covering the storm for cnn. Soebody who loved the city much, seeing firsthand the devastation and of course the unbreakable spirit of the people here, it affected me a lot. People were suffering through an unprecedented event in our nations history. But you never gave up. You never backed down. You came together and you face your challenges with strength and determination. And that is why tonights event is called the power of community. It is about the resilience of a Great American city. Working not as separate groups, but as a United Community you are building a better new orleans. Were sond brad and i moved by what we saw 10 years ago, we knew we had to do something. So we created an Organization Called the Starfish Foundation which focuses on mentoring promising young women in low income families right here in new orleans. Our foundation sends them to and through college and provide support to move forward and build successful life. The foundation and its partners have no assisted hundreds of young women since we started. That makes us very proud, blessed, and happy. And the truth is that successful people make their community stronger. Did you know that the city of new orleans is actually made up uof 73 distinct neighborhoods . You can see those communities that are there, circling the display above. On the floor this evening, we are honored to be joined by representatives from every one of those new orleans neighborhoods. Civic what church, Committee Leaders faced significant struggles and provided support. New orleans simply and literally would not be where it is today without these selfless men and women. I would like to ask you now to please give them a round of applause. [applause] part of why we are here tonight is to say thank you, thank you, thank you. And we have many to thank. Greater new orleans includes much of the surrounding area, as well. And we are pleased to have a handful of parish president s here this evening who have worked tirelessly to help in their communities. We are joined by numerous state and National Leaders who have done so much to bring new orleans back. It would be impossible to measure what they have done. Finally, to all of the individuals who have contributed to the recovery of this great city neighbors across america, people around the world who love the city. We are forever grateful. And so we say thank you. Round of applause. [applause] a moment ago, we started the evening with a very amazing john. And we have a wonderful show. [applause] have a wonderful show planned. Throughout the night, we will highlight a number of organizations and individuals who represent some of the comeback stories of the city now part of the fabric of new orleans. Have inspirational speakers, plenty of great new orleans music, of course. And much, much more. 10 years ago, we look to the lens of those dark days. And we should be looking at how far we have come, how we must move forward together. I want to thank you all for being here tonight. We are just Getting Started. I love you back. [laughter] before we go any further, i want to set the stage for our national anthem. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise. Here to perform our national anthem. Oh say can you see by the dawns early light what so proudly we hailed gleamingilights last stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight oer the ramparts we watched streamingllantly and the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air through the night thereur flag was still spangledes that star banner yet wave land of the free he brave me of te [applause] brave me of the [applause] soledad that was beautiful. It was Francis Scott key who gave us the anthem. But that rendition was full of the soul of the city. We all know what it means to miss new orleans. We all know too well. As the floodwaters rose, so they also fell. We are living in rebirth and rejuvenation. Tonights sponsor the rockefeller center. A round of applause. [applause] usis extremely genero organization has provided support to Committee Groups throughout the storm. They stop by for the decade after. The Rockefeller Foundation through their initiative, 100 urban Centers Across the globe to help withience, a shock that can help disrupt lives. The foundation has made it possible to stage this week all of the katrina 10 events. We are incredibly grateful for their support. And also the support from major global foundations like the rockefeller. Possible were it not for friends and allies in government who insured that billions of dollars necessary for recovery and rebuilding this great city were sent from washington, d. C. To build greater flood protections, to help rebuild neighborhoods, and help people get back on their feet. I am pleased tonight to introduce to you a champion for the recovery, one who represents the river parishes in congress. And with the assistance of former u. S. Senator Mary Landrieu help deliver billions with a b. [applause] he took on the half of new to make sureight they had the investment from washington, d. C. So please join me in welcoming richmond. N cedric [applause] mr. Richman thank you for the introduction. Let me start by saying a few thank yous to very key people who helped us in our rebuilding. And of course, you will hear from most of them later. But my colleagues from congress, i know we have Sheila Jackson lee. We have maxine waters. [applause] and you will hear from the first female speaker of the United States congress, nancy pelosi. I also want to thank our [applause] i want to thank our city council. Maryormer senator landrieu, was a champion for the state of louisiana and the city of new orleans. [applause] mary, i know i do not have to translate new orleans language. But that means we love you. I also want to thank former who was hereleen, today. [applause] and of course, our mayor Mitch Landrieu and our city council members. [applause] owe a lot of things to millions of people around the country. They donated either money or time or who got on her knees and prayed for our resurrection and for our recovery. But i want to take a second to thank another group of people. I want to thank the people of new orleans. Who had the faith and courage to come back when it looked like there was nothing to come back to. [applause] people in new orleans rebuilt their homes before the playstation, fire station, hospital. And they did it for the love the city. People in lakeview, the lower ninth ward came back when people do not think those areas could be rebuilt. Churchber being in the when they had the service. The bishop preached about they thought we were buried. There really did think the city of new orleans was buried underwater. But they forget that we are a special type of people down here. Seed thatt strange can grow underwater. Instead of being buried, we are growing into the city that we want to be. Commemoratinge that have just passed, the 10 years of hard work and dedication. But we are also doubling down on our efforts that we still have work to do. Until every person that wants to come home has the ability to come home, we are not done. Until every person that is here but is not home, until their home, we still have work to do. Celebrate our great music, leadership. And lets go home and get ready to roll up our sleeves and double down. Because we still have a bunch of work to do. Thank you new orleans. I love you, god bless you and the United States. I had the pleasure of introducing someone that i work with everyday. Someone who was nice enough to invite me to go to italy a couple of weeks ago to the world expo. Which so you know, new orleans food which showcased finally in the u. S. Pavilion. Response toaw the katrina and set up a special task force to guide us through the federal regulation, get us more money. She appointed jim clyburn do that committee. What else doess new orleans need . They only sent down 40 million initially. Vees. Lp us rebuild the lee and they do in cash, which is unique. I want to present to you the first female speaker of the United States house of representatives, nancy pelosi. [applause] nancy thank you all very much. Thank you congressman richmond. Governors, mayor Mitch Landrieu, and congressman cedric richmond, what an honor it is to be here with so many people from new orleans. It is with great pride and even greater humility that i bring the sympathy of course and the aberration of the United States and the admiration of United States congress to the people of the new orleans. [applause] it is a privilege to stand with mayor Mitch Landrieu to observe the 10th anniversary of hurricane katrina. 10 years after katrina made landfall, now america looks to new orleans and sees an indomitable city and an export very people a model for resilience, a beacon of possibility. We see a new orleans on the rise. Out of the heartbreak america sees, we see a Crescent City come back. Made possible above all by the power of the community. You all know the community contains the word unity. In some communities, when disaster strikes, people fear that it would change the character of their community. But this community would not be broken. Your heritage runs deep. Your unity is strong. You got thet if help you needed, help you deserved, new orleans would not merely survive. New orleans would prevail. Your courage echoes through the halls of congress and across the country. It was carried forth by your champion, senator Mary Landrieu. [applause] the great Mary Landrieu. Clyburn, whoby jim ouric mentioned, he chaired Democratic Task force on hurricane katrina. Maxine waters was here this evening. She came to talk here about housing, working with president obama and the department of housing and urban development. She was welcoming so many new orleans folks to houston. [applause] orleansodied in new own cedric richmond. Thanks to him and your strength, you turn to the nations compassion into a National Commitment to make new orleans whole again. Congressman richmond is a great member of congress, and i thank all of you for sending him to the congress. [applause] he fits very comfortably in the lineup of great staff leadership here. Them, cedric reminds us that much more needs to be done here. You had the commitment of three president s who are present this week president obama, president bush, and tonight, the great president clinton. [applause] we are all very eager to hear from him. But also, you have the commitment of president George Herbert walker bush who helped immediately, and president jimmy carter here in the form of habitat for humanity. [applause] and you have the commitment of the House Democrats who work with the House Majority whip, denise scillys of louisiana. To see that louisiana has what it needs to succeed. I want to especially knowledge governor blunt go for tremendous washington coming to and making the case. It is an honor to be here with you. And because of all of the others this evening that will be have taughtou, you america how to be great. How to survive. Not just to survive, but to succeed and to transform into something truly great. And today, let america renew our vow to be there for you on the road to recovery. Thank you, new orleans. For your strength, courage, renewal. Congratulations on your spirit of resiliency. And thank you for being an inspiration to america. Let the music began. In. Thank you all very much. [applause] please welcome back to the stage mrs. Soledad obrien. Oledad at this time, we wanted to take a few moments to recognize the government officials who continue to support the rebuilding effort 10 years after the storm. Their leadership and their faith in the citys potential has been vital to its continued progress. They are congressman jackson lee, commerce woman maxine jared. Councilmember Councilmember James gray. President erson parish john young, gordon burgess, former governor kathleen bla nco. And Mary Landrieu, thank you all. [applause] i call it a sacred place. Named afteroulevard a great civil rights leader, on a street that a long time ago was a cornerstone of africanamerican business. In the last four years, it was torn up. Brought younge kids in here to teach them what it meant to be at a table with your family. Switch over to a culinary program. I want to know my area, it will help me become stronger. I think it is great. This location, this corner, this place gets me every time. It became a home for the fema workers. And this really escalated. Graduates 100 of our now qualify for a scholarship. 34 of the last three classes are ienrolled. Kidsrofile is 80 of these are involved in the legal justice and her. Center. Through all the barriers, they come to the program, and with a lot of love and respect and support, they emerge. It is a career. We see somebody who needed school. And if we are looking for a job, he said who wants to be a cook . Who wants to better their life . It was a great opportunity for the community. I will always have a job. You can work in a hotel. You can go into politics. And you can meet someone who will change your life. It is a great opportunity. Hospitality Industry Training Program is a great gateway job. We are trying to run into them constantly, going to restaurants and businesses. And we are still talking about the treatment. Where they were and what they did. The 10th anniversary of katrina . Especially the state. We had a conversation about it. It is such a Pivotal Point for our city. It opened up everybodys eye. To really look at what it meant to be a community in the city. Representing cafe reconcile, please welcome belvin davis. [applause] mr. Davis a famous new orleans chef once said that being a cook is one of the most important jobs there is. Because when we cook, what we serve as part of someone. Reconciled from cafe in june of 2014. For me, the opportunity to go through the program was a blessing and a privilege. Every Single Person at cafe reconcile is 100 supported. They never let me settle. They pushed me to be the best i could be. They wanted me to get a job one day, keep learning, keep cooking. They believed in me. Today, i worked in a banquet kitchen at the hyatt regency. I use the skills i learned at cafe reconcile every day. [applause] it is a place that will always be a part of me. Now, please let me welcome time grammy award nominee welcome ninetime grammy award nominee. Gracious lord take my hand me home let me stand hand in hand i am weak am lost through the night through the night lord please lead me home take my hand lordous homeme precious lord sweet lord guide my feet lord hande hold my my hand precious lord me home [applause] you nola [applause] soledad let it be. A voice like that is truly a gift from above. And with a soulful voice and a prayer of redemption, we must pause to give thanks to the Many Blessings that have in fact been bestowed upon us. And we can count the hardships, we can count the tragedies of the past. That is our history. But we also know of a higher power who comes to us to comfort us during our darkest hours. Our nation, as well as the city, was founded on many faiths. And it has been those faithful ic, have brought us mus community, and strength. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the following leaders who will set our service in motion with passion and peace. Raymond,p gregory archdiocese of new orleans. Reverend fred, franklin avenue baptist church. St. Charleszabeth, avenue baptist church. Friar sergio. Templeeman, congregation sinai. Smith. Toria mcgee mary queen ofic, vietnam catholic church. House of the merciful. Darrell, beacon light cathedral. Let us pray. Father, as wend gather to commemorate 10 years since katrina, we come first and thanks giving to you. And to all of those who have come to our aid, who have helped us to rebuild our lives and this great community. We also come to you this evening and grief, remembering the more than 1800 people whose lives were taken. We commend them to your kingdom for eternal rest. And we also come in hope and and perseverance for those who are still try to rebuild their lives, those who have not been able to come home. Who are still experiencing challenge. Bless them and encourage them. Lord god, and the aftermath of katrina, many dividing lines among us vanished because we needed you and we needed one another. And so we ask you to help us continue to build on that unity. May cleanse unity, our city of violence, murder, and racism. And become the people you have called us to be. What has taken place, we give thanks. For what is left to do, we offer you our hands and our hearts. Father god, we thank you and praise you for this wonderful privilege and opportunity that you have given us to be here tonight. King arena. Hie 10 years ago, our neighborhoods and churches and synagogues were destroyed. 10 years ago, god, our schools were destroyed. Our city was destroyed. Now because of the grace of god, 10 years later, we are still standing. 10 years later, we are still building. 10 years later, we are still rejoicing and thanking you for the fact of the matter the word of god. I have never seen the righteous forsaken. So we thank you for the resilience of the people of new orleans. Now our schools are coming back. Our neighborhoods are coming back. Our churches and synagogues are coming back. And god, the great city of new orleans is coming back. And we give you all the praise glory, to do what you will naesus to do, and jesus name we prya. Ay. Amen. Were or onet as we day will be. Is beforement, what us is right and true. We name what brings to light what is to be celebrated. We see and know the goodness that surrounds us. With gratitude for the joy and resilience and beauty we encounter daily and the faces we see in the city we love. And yet in the next breath, we name what is left undone, what is not as it should be, we name what is unjust and what is unfinished. We see and know that our prayers need us to back them up. Our words must turn to action. May we not dismiss injustice as a charming quirk of an imperfect place, instead may our love for our neighbor overflow in peace and kindness, equity and opportunity. May our love for this city be the love that seeks the good of all people. Itch with each breath draw us closer to people and further along to your way, seeing people as brothers and sisters fully made in the divine image. May we also release what once was as we commemorate. We give thanks for what now is and as we look toward a Bright Future of this amazing home, we proclaim great hope in a new day that is to come. Prayver willing god, we that our city of new orleans accent free to be revealed so we offer you these words. Ather, we praise you as the god of creation, the savior of the world. Us thee entrusted to thatof freedom, a gift calls forth responsibility and commitment to the truth that all have a fundamental dignity before you. As you anointed jesus christ, aura ofy son, with the joy, we ask you to anoint each one of us so we can offer our lives and worth to build a city of truth and light come of justice a light, of justice, love, and peace. One god for ever and ever. [speaking spanish] amen. Was the past 10 years, we have been on the road to healing. I offered these words in the hebrew and english. [speaking hebrew] more than 700 years ago, a man asked if you care anything about your personal securities on the should first of all pray for order and tranquility. In the absence of peace in the world, society cannot prosper and individuals cannot obtain happiness. That is why all people have a mission to actualize global peace. Where there is unity, there is joyful advance. When we unite in prayer, there is no obstacle that cannot be some must did, no poison that cannot be transformed into medicine. We must awaken to the power that resides within us and create a new age that celebrates true human victory. Lets create a new history together. I invite you to enjoy me and chanting for the peace of our land. [chanting] blessing you have bestowed upon us, we are grateful for the opportunity to grow in your wisdom. We are wellprepared for our future. We may open our hearts and mind to helping support one another. Generally, our creativity and intellectuals beautify the city of new orleans. They nurture love for future generations. To pour down upon us your grace and protect our city from all harm. People in this city strength and endurance and that in our daily life, we may enjoy peace and harmony to worship you. Us to the next 10 years in unity and truth. That in everything we do brings glory to your name. In amen. Forgive us our shortcomings. The cannot allow the differences to be people the differences of people to find a way we see each other. Bless this city with your peace and security, with the intentions to complement the work established by the great anders that seek to guide establish loss for humanity to live in peace. To continue a us spiritual purification. Respond to relate and and charity, love, compassion to the easy to the needy, oppressed, downtrodden. Increase in the universal understanding. They are minds and hearts be decorated in beautified with gods divine attributes so we as a nation under god enable us to his grace and compassion to demonstrate the strength and brotherhood for all the world. Leaders withof courage, strength, and the will to serve you faithfully. Ands us in our health decisions. Amen. Franco,ate victor jewish holocaust survivor, says to live is to suffer, but to survive is to find meaning in the suffering. Father come it is with great joy that we are grateful and able to stand here now 10 years later to look over the many experiences, the challenges and situations you have allowed us to endure. For we understand that everything in our lives either you ordered or allowed it. And we bless and thank you that you have the final and last word. We know you today as the god of restoration. According to your word, we declare and decree that the greatest days of this great city are still yet upon us. We thank you for allowing us to endure the destruction, to experience the transition, and to behold the restoration. You are a good god and worthy to be praised. Havederstand and when we come this far by faith. We are leaning and trusting on your word. We pray for the leadership. We thank you that you should bless us with blessings that we stand in need of. Thank you for letting us know in life that it is not our locality where the sheer force of our personality, but the mentality when informed by our spirituality that shapes and colors are reality. For a new horizon. To wife for a new dawning. Thank you for a new horizon, a new dawning. Amen. [applause] can we bow for a moment of silence. [chanting] lord have mercy when the morning come down [chanting] [singing] i love to hear you [chanting] early in the morning nowt you hear him coming love to hear you call early in the morning comingou see him aint gon give no warning my indian rig i love to hear you call in the morning how i love to hear you call my indian rig do, hondon in the morning you call myo hear indian rig the nation we leaving for the nation we wont bow down down on the ground lord have mercy one they morning come walking down the lord have mercy can i have a real good time engines of from a nation engines of the nation. The whole creation we wont bow down down on the ground on the dirty ground how i love to hear you call thank you. [applause] welcome back your host for this evening. This weeksoughout commemorative activities, including tonights event, there many solemn moments of remembrance but also opportunities to reflect on the progress this city has made over this decade and the people who have helped along the way. Take a look. To the thousands who served in the katrina response and recovery effort, we salute you. Thank you. On behalf of the men and women of the north, thank you. Were tremendously grateful to those who helped us. Thank you, america. We love you all and if you have not had a chance to come meet us, come down. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. You were the catalyst and momentum we needed. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I want to say from the bottom me,y heart, thank you from my family, my sister, my brother. We were all in the throes of her own recovery. I want to thank you for stepping up to help us. It is not going unnoticed. We appreciate it. [applause] referring to our next performer, jazz at Lincoln Center noted every so often, a new voice stands up and proclaims itself that few do with so much supreme depth and understated soul. She is a prominent jazz vocalist please to perform home welcome stephanie jordan. [applause] when i think of home, i think of a place where theres love overflowing i wish i was home, i wish i was back there with the things ive been knowin wind that makes the tall grass bend into leaning suddenly the raindrops that fall they have a meaning sprinkling the scene makes it all clean maybe theres a chance for me to go back now that i have some direction it would sure be nice to back home where theres love and affection and just maybe i can convince time to slow up giving me enough time in my life to grow up time be my friend let me start again suddenly my worlds gone and changed its face but i still know where im going i have had my mind spun around in space and yet ive watched it growing if youre listening god, please dont make it hard to go to know if we should believe the things that we see tell us should we try and stay, or should we run away . Or would it be better just to let things be . Living here in this brand new world might be a fantasy but its taught me to love so its real to me and ive learned that we must look inside our hearts to find a world full of love like yours and mine like home [applause] soledad bravo. We have been in operation since 1938. When katrina hit, the water was as high as this. All of this was wiped out. We lost all of our inventory. There was massive destruction like the rest of the city. Really orees overwhelmed by this storm surge and in many cases, they were nearly washed away. The outlaw canals in the city collapsed or were under my did or were under minded. This entire area was under water. Some of our employees were stuck in different areas because of the storm and had to be rescued. We were really brought your knees at the time. My grandmother was in the lower ninth ward and she lost everything. Memories, pictures, furniture. Hit, he knewa where they were. I got someone to help me get downtown to the the a va downtown. He was there when the storm hit. My dad saw on the news and he could not believe it. As soon as he was able to come back, he was almost the first one ready to rebuild. Eventually, he was approached by a corporation who thought they could buy us out. They offered a lot of money but he knew it was so important for the community for this to stay a family run business. My grandmother wanted to rebuild her house. Orleansback to new where she rebuilt her home. It wasnt just that the levees broke, the city took a huge hit from the storm surge. I want to make sure the American Public understands what we have done as a country to protect the city better. Were looking at the great wall of new orleans. I want you to talk about what it is so we can talk about what it does and why we are better off today than we were. Havee lines of defense been pushed outward. The 1. 8 mile long surge barrier and sector gate and barge gate do not allow the search to enter or approach the downtown area. This as well as between 24 and 26 feet high. Surge out of the city, far away from the structures. The leadership here really made a commitment to focus and plan and prepare for the next event. Rebuilt, itea was was really all about resiliency. You can see here there is a second story with a ramp that for of so now the force the hospital can be expendable is a flood or to have been and the rest of the hospital is available to take care of patients. In the next disaster, we will be ready to continue to serve our patients and citizens. I love new orleans. New orleans is home. Honor thisi community garden. We give fresh fruits and vegetables. It is a wonderful area. Everyone knows its a quality community. It seems like the community has really come together and been strong and decided they are going to help keep it safe. They try to make sure you understand its a stepping stone. They try to get us out and on our feet. We call that resiliency. One of the strongest things people can do is work to each other and talk to each other. New orleans is coming back now. Areave young people who coming together with the community, trying to build up the community. I noticed the things the mayor is doing now. Things are getting better. New orleans is doing great. It is not where it needs to be but i think after something as heartbreaking as katrina was, to see people coming back, it shows how strong we are, how resilient we are. We all found something deep within us that helped us fight even harder and never give up. Like any other city, you will have challenges but new orleans is moving forward in a great way. Enough that i want to raise my son here. People who havent come back yet, what do you want to tell them . Come home. It is home. Explain what that means. Why everyone is so drawn to the city. It doesnt leave. Please look at the 61st mayor of new orleans, Mitchell Jerry landrieu. [applause] uptown . Ndrieu where is where is downtown . Bank . Out the west how about the east . What about lower nine . And everywhere in between . [laughter] happy to see all of you. President , thank you so much for being with us. You . Think the world loves three president s in three days. Give president obama, president bush, and president clinton a round of applause. Enrichment, all of our faith leaders with us, 10 years ago, do you remember where you were . Do you remember what you are doing . Do you remember sitting in that long line trying to get out, didnt know where you were going . Thought we would just go out and come back in . And then the levees broke. The greatest manmade disaster in history, a tragedy of Epic Proportions that changed our lives forever. For 10 years but 10 years later, back then, 17 feet underwater but 10 years later, here we are. Some people said that we should come back. Shouldnt come back. Some people said we couldnt come back. Some people said that it was never going to happen, that nobody could come back from a tragedy of such Epic Proportions and here we are 10 years later still standing. [applause] week is designed to do a couple of things. One is to remember the tremendous lives that were lost. Our brothers and sisters, answer and uncles. Unbelievable stories of fathers losing their grip of their children sliding into the water come unimaginable pain revisited through these incredible pictures that i know take your soul and bring them down to the ground. But as soon as that flood came, another came. People from all over the world came to help us. People we didnt know came down to lift a set. Germany comeanada, all over the world germany, and all over the world. And guess who else, people from new orleans who had never traveled to another neighborhood. Are you feeling me . People who were a mile away but and this storm helped us find each other again. The city of new orleans had lost its love for itself and thought the world had forgotten us until the world gasped at the possibility of them losing the soul of america and a beacon of hope for the world and they came to our aid and in that tragedy can triumph came triumph. Out of that death came resurrection. We found each other, our value. Because people loved us so quickly and fully, we found a way to love ourselves again and we found a way come hell or high come and we have had both both, i asked the archbishop wanted locus were coming. Here is the thing. The world, nation us up. This week, the second purpose is to the people of new orleans say thank you to everyone who helped us because this is a city with a grateful heart. So please give the people of the nation around of applause. [applause] give them a standing ovation because we are here because of them. Thank you, america, people of the world, for lifting us up and helping us out and we will pay about to you tenfold. Thank you. [applause] finally, people of new orleans, we know this and the world knows now because president obama said it, we are not finished. We have more work to do. Congressman richmond remembered robert frost the other day and said we have miles to go before we sleep. Because we will not rest. You will not stop until every neighborhood is back. We wont rest or stop until justice is done in this city. We wont rest or stop until the city doesnt build back. This is a beautiful place. Not many on this planet have what we had and we can be a beacon of hope for the u. S. Below we act towards each other, the way we build back, we can help america find her greatness again and that will be the gift we give back to this nation because we will not move forward unless everyone comes along. Here is the message of the day we are unbowed, unbroken, still standing. And as the song said, there is no place like home. Orleans, get up on your feet and give yourself a round of applause because the people of america are waiting on us to help america find herself again. God bless you all committee where so much, and lets keep going. [applause] one the multigenerational family owners reopened the itcery in january 2014, became in a clear iconic some bull of the citys rebirth. Ere on behalf, please welcome budrow. [applause] hello. My family and i are so happy to be part of this wonderful evening. The seventh ward has changed a lot. Adoptso important that we to serve the needs of our customers, our neighbors. We are growing and getting busier all the time. I see new faces in the store every day. I hope that means were doing something right. Circle food stores is one of the only six blackowned Grocery Stores in the country. [applause] but i really dont think it will be as successful in any other city like it is in new orleans. Us, newans needed orleans supported us. We were born, bred here. The circle food store will be here as long as our city needs us to be, supporting our community right back. You have seen this next performer on the hit nbc series the voice. She has made new orleans her home. Cannonwelcome miss tanya with the delta funk. Wake up everybody, no more sleeping no more backward thinkin time for thinkin ahead the world has changed so very much from what it used to be so there is so much hatred war and poverty wake up all the teachers, time to teach a new way maybe then theyll listen to whatcha have to say theyre the ones whos coming up and the world is in their hands when you teach the children, teach em the very best you can the world wont get no better if we just let it be the world wont get no better we gotta change it, yeah, just you and me wake up all the doctors, make the old people well theyre the ones who suffer and who catch all the hell but they dont have so very long before the judgment day so wontcha make them happy before they pass away . Wake up all the builders, time to build a new land i know we can do it if we all lend a hand the only thing we have to do is put it in our mind surely things will work out, they do it every time the world wont get no better if we just let it be the world wont get no better we gotta change it, yeah, just you and me come on we talk be the change about today wake up everybody wake up everybody i said wake up everybody i see a need your help tonight i need your help tonight i need your help tonight i need your help let me hear you say wake up everybody one more time wake up can i do it no music i said wake up everybody come on i know your loving that wake up done survived, baby wake up everybody wake up wake up everybody all over the world wake up bring love and joy to your heart wake up everybody wake up everybody wake up dumstafunk [applause] the First Time Since the flood of 1957 this money were dislocated and there is no way they can now be taking care of. We need a fund to help people that will be overlooked. , the formerahead president s will ask the people to open their hearts to help those in need. Of people thatt need help so were trying to help in a way that members that preserves maximum impact. An amazing variety of circumstance. Remember seeing president clinton when he touched the ground for the first time and both of these guys really have never seen anything like this. Were awed by the damage but also of the tremendous spirit of the people. I think the fund was very key in helping new orleans recovery because we were able to respond almost immediately. We were up and running within two months time. To raisewo president s nearly 130 million 130 million, we were able to make commitments for people to make plans for their lives. The challenge was that we should give money to the ground. Getting a great job of feet and eyes on the ground. And then actually being able to accumulate information and getting the resources and places. Schools were really important to get moving in the right direction. Today, we are giving 30 million to 34, which is to 34 colleges. Those funds were totally necessary. We would not have made it. If we had not come back, i am not so sure we would have gotten ere enrollment back whe we would have liked to. We are here to announce a sustainable rebuilding effort. Were calling it make it right. In addition to president clinton raising money, members of the Clinton Global Initiative made 10 commitments to strengthen communities in new orleans and the gulf coast region. They are working to improve a postdisaster recovery, housing, education, and economic opportunity. These commitments will have an estimated total value of more than 10 million. We started building houses in new orleans in july 2006. What we show is that new home design doesnt need to create a false battle between Energy Sufficiency and sustainability and affordability. New orleans has rebounded tremendously. You know there is still progress to be made. Cgi members continue to work in the region on building and disaster preparedness. I think it is also important to a number of people to recognize their parts of new orleans that will never come back to their original state. There are people who left new orleans who will never be able to come back to those homes that were destroyed. Is keephave to do building on the foundation that was left so that future generations will be able to say they were a part of this great rebuilding process. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to our honored special guest, bill clinton. [applause] mr. Clinton thank you very much. I know you have been here a long time. I lostd news for you is my voice when i woke up this morning. [laughter] mayor,ery honored, mr. That you invited me to come here and make the last talk i believe effort tognificent commemorate, honor, and celebrate the progress that has been made and rededicate ourselves to finish the job. The people ink ,orked with a decade ago including you and your role as lieutenant governor. Senator. , i think leader nancy pelosi. And all the others who are here who were there in those dark days. One president obama was here, he spoke about going to houston to the astrodome to see all the people who were gathered there. I actually escorted him. He was a young senator from illinois and hillary wanted to go because he was a senator from new york. [applause] wait, this is important. I am tried to make it really important point here. It is important for you to love her but i want to tell you [applause] [laughter] hillary wanted to go because she had been a senator for new york on 9 11 four years earlier and she never forgot what mary and other members of congress of both parties did to step up and try to help new york begin again after the awful tragedy of that day. And i couldwere then senatord obama was and i could tell how ierwhelmed hillary was and was thrilled when president bush asked his father and me to head the for you just read about. I was thrilled when the then republican leader of the senate awaythat nobody who lived from the gulf coast area had done as much for this area in the u. S. Senate as hillary had she loved it so much. I was thrilled when barack obama ran for president come the unity commitment to continue the assistance to new orleans and the gulf that ran to a total of 70 million and he kept his word and so did those who supported him. [applause] now, why am i telling you this . Big advantagea over all of them. I didnt have any more choice about what i was trying to do down here than the man on the moon. When you saw in those pictures, i thought i was still a pretty young guy, 59 years old. [laughter] now, i am nearly 70. I first came to new orleans before most of you were born. Old, iwas three years came on the train, my first train trip, to see my widowed mother in a Nursing School at charity hospital. [applause] and my grandmother brought me down and we stayed across canal street. One of the old hotels. The first time i had ever been in a building with more than two stories. The first time i had ever been in a city of this size. I was three. Do the math, that was a long time ago. I remember that day as if our yesterday. When i was 15, i came back. Jazz is issued. I came flowing on my clarinet and saxophone