A smaller New Orleans

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WASHINGTON - Four in 10 residents of New Orleans who sought Red Cross help after Hurricane Katrina say they don't expect to return home — an exodus that could dramatically change that city, a poll of those hurricane survivors found.

Blacks were twice as likely as whites to say they would not return. Almost nine in 10 whose homes are no longer livable say they don't expect to return, the CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll found.

I assume that "homes" is meant to include apartments and other rental properties. If that is correct, this statistic is not surprising to me. If I owned a piece of land in New Orleans, I would have a reason to go back even if the building on that land had been destroyed. If I rented, I would be looking for a place for a fresh start with the hope, perhaps, of returning in many years after the City is rebuilt. Given that the poorest sections of New Orleans were overwhelming populated by blacks, the numbers make sad sense. Also, the ripple effects throughout that region of this demographic change are going to be huge.