In an effort to maintain their pre-Katrina quality of life, the St. Bernard Parish Council recently imposed restrictions on homeowners from renting to those who are not blood relatives. The Parish is now facing lawsuits from housing advocates.
St. Bernard Parish was decimated by Hurricane Katrina. While recovery has been relatively slow in the parish, some residents have raised concern about the changing quality of life in the parish. There are also concerns about maintaining the high level of home ownership that existed prior to Katrina. The parish council believes that the rental restrictions will not only help maintain the pre-Katrina quality of life, but it will also promote home ownership in the parish. Officials claim that the restrictions are not racially motivated nor are they discriminatory. Fair housing advocates fail to differ and have filed suit against the parish.
"Our people have been through enough. Everybody lost their homes, and many of them lost family members and friends in the storm," DiFatta said. "They don't want to lose their quality of life as well, and that's one thing we can damn well help them to hold on to."
Read the full story: St. Bernard sued over rent limit
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
This MA town is drowning in its own sewage — and residents like it that way
Susan Murcott, a waste water expert, said if Carlisle didn't address their leaking sewage, the problem could turn “deadly.”
Iowa taxpayers are paying thousands to clean manure out of their water
While the Clean Water Act makes states responsible for regulating factory farms that discharge pollutants, Iowa has turned a blind eye to the polluting farms.
Amtrak cuts ribbon on Seattle Airo maintenance facility
The $250 million, nearly 100,000-square-foot building can house an entire Cascades Airo trainset.
To power data centers, Google seeks autonomous control of thousands of homes’ electricity
The tech company has signed a deal to indirectly pay Mid-Atlantic residents to reduce their power demand when the grid is strained.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello