Areas of Louisiana devastated by Hurricane Katrina could remain deserted as the state acquires nearly 19,000 storm-damaged homes in the nation's biggest post-disaster buyout, a USA TODAY analysis shows.The mass of deserted land — derelict homes and empty lots, most of them in neighborhoods where Katrina's flooding was most severe — poses a significant new obstacle for communities struggling to rebuild. Most still aren't sure what they'll do with all the property.
"It's going to be a tremendous burden," says Walter Leger, housing chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which has overseen the taxpayer-funded buyouts. Averaging about $75,000 apiece, the buyouts are part of the state's $11 billion Road Home rebuilding program that gives homeowners the option of rebuilding or turning their homes over to the state.
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