Why care about restoration of the US Gulf Coast?
The Gulf Coast has been hit hard in recent years by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike, Gustav, and Isaac, as well as the BP oil spill. These blows have devastated a region that is home to some of the most vulnerable communities in the country, as well as vital and fragile ecosystems. The Gulf Coast has national significance as well, hosting 13 of the 20 largest ports by tonnage and providing 30 percent of the country’s seafood, including more than 70 percent of the shrimp and oysters.
What we’re doing
Oxfam is working with a broad coalition of community and environmental organizations to find the best ways to restore the environment and the economy, and to increase resiliency and build community strength.
What's new
Stories & video
The New Pornographers for Oxfam's Gulf Coast Program
The New Pornographers and Oxfam collaborate to bring you their new video for the song "Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk," featuring local residents still reeling from the BP oil spill.
BP oil spill: Voices from the Gulf Coast
Loyde Duncan talks about his life as a fisherman off the coast of Louisiana and the uncertainty that lies ahead.
Fishermen prepare for the worst with BP oil spill
Gulf Coast communities deal with the spill's impact on livelihoods and worry about the recovery process.
Hardest hit: Survival strategies from the frontlines of climate change
Learn how four communities around the world are fighting back against climate change, and how you can help.
A house built on pilings – a lift house – can withstand hurricane-force winds and rains.
Biloxi braces for an uncertain future
In a city already battling poverty and a legacy of severe hurricanes, the BP oil spill could bring a different kind of disaster.
Oil spill presents array of threats to Gulf Coast
Oxfam supports community efforts to respond to the spill.
Changing the way Americans prepare for the worst
What if we could pinpoint who’d be hardest hit by disasters? Thanks to social vulnerability mapping, we can.
Three years after losing everything in Hurricane Katrina, one grassroots leader is harnessing the power of community.
Some people dread evacuations almost as much as hurricanes
Leaving home in advance of a storm is costly and exhausting. Facing the prospect of having to do it more than once in short order makes some residents think twice.
After the storm: Oxfam takes stock, rushes in aid
Gustav hit trailers and vulnerable homes the hardest.
An Oxfam partner tackles hurricane disasters—past, present, and future
Oxfam's local partner TRAC is joining hands with other agencies to ensure that hurricane Gustav recovery efforts are fair, coordinated, and forward-thinking.
Sharon Hanshaw helps women speak out and prepare for future storms in post-Hurricane Katrina Biloxi, MS
New report documents the fading of the American dream
New index is a single measure of well-being for all Americans based on indicators in three key areas: health, education and income.
Gulf Coast housing plan is good news, but...
A plan to expand workforce housing in Mississippi is welcomed, but advocates say the unmet housing needs in the state go way beyond what the plan will cover.
Oxfam, local advocates protest plan to cut housing money
Using money earmarked for housing restoration is not the way to pay for a port expansion—not when hurricane victims still have no real homes to move into.
An innovative housing program in the US Gulf Coast led by Oxfam America partner TRAC is taking housing in flood-prone areas to new heights.
Designed to last, new "Lift House" holds promise for Louisiana
A new concept takes shape and offers hope for residents of the Gulf that future hurricanes might inflict less, if any, property damage.
The Lift House: Living on the bayou—or above it
MIT architecture students design a new housing concept for the Gulf Coast that combines affordability with hurricane-ready sturdiness, and ease of construction.
Group lives up to its name: Coastal Women for Change
Gulf Coast women join together to talk about what was happening in their community, what issues and problems they faced, and how these could be addressed.
Oxfam in the news
BP spill's socioeconomic damage needs attention, too
Nola Times-Picayune, Dec 07, 2012 - Op ed by Oxfam America's Jeffrey Buchanan on the oil spill’s effect on people and communities.
Press releases
Community and business leaders applaud "Path Forward" plan for restoring Gulf Coast
Jan 29, 2013 -
Tools for supporters
How to make a difference on campus
Aug 03, 2012 - Students, are you ready to take action? Find tips for starting and running an Oxfam Club at your high school or university, ideas for campus events, and much more.
Research & reports
Beyond Recovery: Moving the Gulf Coast Toward a Sustainable Future
Feb 09, 2011 - In this report, Oxfam America and the Center for American Progress honor the resiliency of the people of the Gulf Coast and propose a plan to restore the region building on existing assets and leveraging incoming federal funding to spark innovation and collaboration, putting local communities to work.
US Gulf Coast Recovery in-depth
These publications form the foundation of the campaign
Beyond Recovery: Moving the Gulf Coast Toward a Sustainable Future
In this report, Oxfam America and the Center for American Progress honor the resiliency of the people of the Gulf Coast and propose a plan to restore the region building on existing assets and leveraging incoming federal funding to spark innovation and collaboration, putting local communities to work.
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