Boston-based Oxfam America has announced a three-year, $7.1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to strengthen local organizations advocating for affordable housing and workers' rights in the Gulf Coast region.

Since the destruction caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, Oxfam has partnered with organizations in Louisiana and Mississippi to help some of the most vulnerable coastal communities and residents recover. This latest grant will provide support, technical assistance, and information to organizations working to ensure that affordable housing is available for those who have been displaced and to protect workers' rights for those participating in the rebuilding effort, including many migrant, minority, and low-income laborers. A significant portion of the funds will be distributed to local organizations to strengthen their advocacy and service efforts on behalf of Gulf Coast residents.