New Orleans still crippled by builder shortage
Builders - 14/09/2006 13:17:00
New Orleans's construction industry needs thousands more builders to help get the city back on its feet, according to reports.
A shortage of construction workers and builders in the American city is creating a black market for unscrupulous tradesmen to cash-in on vulnerable residents and charge exorbitant prices for services.
However, with the flood-ravaged city still struggling to rebuild itself after being hit by Hurricane Katrina over a year ago, many homeowners are turning themselves into brick layers, plasterers and roofers in a bid to get their homes back to normal.
Sandra Ramsay, a hairdresser from the city, enrolled on a government-funded crash course in construction and is now subsidising her regular income by installing dry walls for friends and neighbours.
The 55-year old isn't the most likely of builders but says that she "likes being out there, helping people rebuild" and says that she is "making money on top of it".
According to reports, the shortage of builders is also being acutely compounded by the lack of accommodation to house them in, meaning it is simply not possible to get the workers into the city to do the work.
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