New Orleans Houses Will Not Be Demolished For Two Weeks

Demolition "is likely to remain an emotional flashpoint, pitting opponents, including housing advocates, politicians and some residents, against city officials trying to clean up the ruined streets and neighborhoods."

"The lawyers and activists who have sued the city say that [piles of rubble] are houses and that dispersed residents should be given the chance to search for their possessions. They accuse the city of surreptitiously beginning to raze houses, a charge that officials vigorously deny."

"Demolition has emerged as the sharpest edge of an emotional debate over which neighborhoods should be rebuilt, a question that has engulfed this city since the storm. More than four months after Hurricane Katrina struck, no resolution is in sight. The city's failure to provide information on demolition plans has increased tensions."