The Fight to Save New Orleans' Public Housing

"Since Katrina, the homeless population of New Orleans has doubled to more than 12,000 people. Despite what the New York Times on Dec. 2 called an 'acute rental shortage,' HUD plans to spend $762 million to demolish public housing and replace it with only 744 new units of affordable housing. HUD will spend an average of $400,000 for each new mixed-income unit, while statements by HANO'S own insurance company have shown that many of the multiple-unit buildings to be demolished could be repaired for less than $10,000 per building."

"In late November, the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) had approved $30 million in contracts to demolish the B.W. Cooper, C.J. Peete, Lafitte and St. Bernard projects. Public housing residents, lawyers, religious leaders and activists who attempted to stop the demolitions met police head on. But their efforts succeeded in delaying some demolition and gaining significant national support."

"The St. Bernard housing projects have stood empty since the forced evacuation during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Although the sturdy brick apartments suffered only minor water damage and could have been rehabilitated, HUD and the city of New Orleans fenced off the row houses and kicked out former residents who attempted to squat in their own homes. Residents began immediately protesting their displacement."

"On June 14, 2006, HUD and HANO announced demolition plans. And on June 26, a group of African-American public housing residents filed a class-action lawsuit, citing the agencies' obligation to 'provide nondiscriminatory access to safe, affordable housing' and to keep contractual commitments to residents with leases."

"As protests continued on the ground, Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.), as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), publicly requested a moratorium on the demolitions until more research is done into one-for-one replacement and the immediate needs of displaced residents. The Gulf Coast Recovery Act of 2007 would require a plan for replacement before demolitions begin. But as of December, the bill was held up in committee and lacked the key support of Louisiana's Republican Sen. David Vitter."

"Despite the opposition, on Dec. 20, New Orleans' City Council voted unanimously to approve the demolitions without formally meeting with residents."