Update Archives

Solidarity Actions

Documents:

Facts vs. Myths

Demolition fact-sheet

Busting Vitter's Myths

Links:

Justice for New Orleans

Peoples Hurricane Relief

New Orleans Indymedia

SF Bay View

Lakewood-Colorado-Payday.Loan - fast money with any credit score in USA

Media:

Save Public Housing in New Orleans

Amy Goodmand Democracy Now
Democracy Now! coverage

The Battle Over New Orleans Public Housing

This is My Home

Dolan Media Newswire Story

Locking out New Orleans' poor (Salon)

H.O.P.E.- Housing Opportunities For People
Everywhere - the St. Bernard

HANO to demolish New Orleans Public Housing video

Images: Public Housing In New Orleans

 

COALITION TO STOP THE DEMOLITION

Goals: 1) No Demolition until 1:1 replacement is guaranteed 2) Resident participation in any redevelopment planning

Organizational Endorsements:

  1. Advocates for Environmental Human Rights

  2. Agenda for Children

  3. African American Leadership Project (AALP)

  4. American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee of New Orleans

  5. Amnesty International USA

  6. Anti Racism Working Group

  7. Ashe Cultural Arts Center

  8. The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America

  9. Black Love Movement

  10. Center for Empowered Decision Making

  11. Central City Partnership

  12. Christian Unity Baptist Church

  13. Churches Supporting Churches

  14. Common Ground Health Clinic

  15. Craige Cultural Center

  16. Critical Resistance New Orleans

  17. C3 Hands Off Iberville

  18. Ebenezer Baptist Church

  19. European Dissent

  20. Faith in Action Evangelistic Team

  21. Faith Temple Church of God the Holy Ghost Center, New Orleans

  22. First United Baptist Church

  23. FYRE Youth Squad

  24. Gert Town Revival Initiative, Inc.,

  25. Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center

  26. Hope House

  27. INCITE! New Orleans

  28. Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies

  29. Left Turn Magazine

  30. Louisiana Justice Institute

  31. Louisiana Unity Coalition on Black Civic Participation

  32. Malcolm X Grassroots Movement

  33. Mennonite Central Committee—New Orleans

  34. Mennonite Disaster Service

  35. Millions More Movement

  36. Moving Forward Gulf Coast, Inc.

  37. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

  38. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

  39. National Coalition on Black Civic Participation

  40. The National Hip Hop Political Convention

  41. National Trust for Historic Preservation

  42. New Orleans Interfaith Worker Justice

  43. New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival

  44. New Orleans Women's Health & Justice Initiative

  45. New Orleans Women's Health Clinic

  46. New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice

  47. Nuthinbutfire Records

  48. Pax Christi—New Orleans

  49. Peoples’ Hurricane Relief Fund

  50. People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond

  51. The Praxis Project

  52. The Renaissance Project

  53. Restaurant Opportunities Center—New Orleans

  54. Safe Streets Strong Communities

  55. Situations: Project for the Radical Imagination

  56. Southern Christian Leadership Conference

  57. Total Community Action Faith Collaborative

  58. Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice

  59. United Teachers of New Orleans

  60. Welfare Rights Organization

  61. Youth Inspirational Connection, Inc,

  62. Youth Media Council

Additional organizations have endorsed the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007 (S.1668), which would provide that no demolition shall occur until HUD devises a plan to replace all of the units that would be demolished.

The list can be found here


How You Can Help Action Alerts/Events

SlideshowUpdate:

March 25, 2008

Public Housing:

Demolition has begun at C.J. Peete, B.W. Cooper and St. Bernard.  New Orleans Mayor Nagin has given the green light for the demolition to proceed at Lafitte and is expected soon.  See: NOLA.com article

Last week there were civil disobedience arrests at St. Bernard and Lafitte, brining to several dozen total arrests so far.

United Nations experts on housing and minority rights have criticized the demolition of public housing in New Orleans calling it a violation of international human rights.  See: AHN Article

HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson is under FBI investigation for actions taken in several places across the US, including New Orleans, and has been asked to resign by two U.S. Senators.  See: A.P. Article

All legal challenges in federal court have been denied and are on appeal to the U.S. Fifth Circuit – unfortunately the Fifth Circuit has refused to fast track the appeals so no decisions are expected for months.

Internationally, New Orleans expects to join the Zero Evictions Campaign.  Look for developments at: IAI Article

The companies who are the developers of new housing on the site of 4500 units of soon to be demolished public housing in New Orleans are:

  • C.J. Peete –  McCormack Baron Salazar and KAI Design & Build
  • B.W. Cooper –  KBK and BWC Resident Management Corporation
  • St. Bernard –  Fore! Kids Foundation, Columbia Residential (former partners of HUD Secretary Jackson) and Baton Rouge Area Foundation
  • Lafitte – Providence Community Housing and Enterprise Community Partners

See: HUD Press Release

      

Other Affordable Housing Update:

FEMA has begun moving 30,000 hurricane displaced families out of trailers across the gulf – despite severe housing shortage.

 

Policy Link documents that only 2 of 5 Louisiana renters who need affordable housing can expect to find it.  They also document that even when all the planned subsidized housing in New Orleans is rebuilt (and we are a long way from that point today) the total will reduce the amount of subsidized housing by about two-thirds that existed before Katrina. https://www.policylink.org/

City of New Orleans is working hard to criminalize homelessness and expects to pass a new ordinance in April to allow the arrest of homeless people who sleep on the street.  New Orleans homeless population has doubled since Katrina.  Experts now estimate that 1 in 25 people in New Orleans is homeless, the highest rate in the nation.  See: USA Today Article

How to Help:

Watch the Zero Evictions Website and support the campaign: https://www.habitants.org/article/articleview/1449/1/276/

Contact Elected Officials:

George Bush – President - (202) 456-1111 - Ask him to fire Alphonso Jackson

Alphonso Jackson, Sec. of HUD - (202) 708-1112 - Ask him to resign

Sen. Mary Landrieu (202) 224-5824; Fax: 202-224-9735 - Ask her to insist on one to one replacement of all demolished public housing

Sen. David Vitter - (504) 589-2753, DC Office (202) 224-4623

 

Action Alerts:

CALL TO ACTION

Protest Sen. David Vitter on Jan. 25th— International Day of Action in Defense of New Orleans' Public Housing

Join us Friday, January 25th from 2-4 PM as we tell Senator David "Family Values" Vitter at his home to stop blocking Senate Bill 1668 and let our working class families come home.

We will meet at Carrolton and Canal (old Robert parking lot) at 1:30 PM and then caravan to Vitter's.

Call the number below if you need a ride.

Directions to David Vitter's Home at 238 Helois in Metairie: (from New Orleans take I-10 west, get off at the Bonnabel exit (Exit 229) take first left on Bonnabel Blvd. Take right on Brockenbraugh, and take first left on Helios).

For more information call 504-520-9521

 

See events in other cities

How You Can Help

1. Get on the Phone- Call your congressional and senate representatives urging them to support the passage of SB 1668- the New Orleans Housing Recovery Act, currently awaiting a vote in the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committees.

See Call-In Numbers below

2. If you are interested in coming to New Orleans to help, email us at action@peopleshurricane.org for more information

3. Spread the Word via, e-mail - Get the word out to your network of family, friends and co-workers. The attack on low-income and poor families is not limited to New Orleans, If we allow affordable housing to disappear during a critical time in it’s recovery, there will be less chance for it’s survival throughout the US.

4. Keep updated, visit www.defendneworleanspublichousing.org (aka www.NoDozers.org) regularly for updates!

5. Find out about solidarity actions in your area by visiting our solidarity network page.

Call-In Numbers:

City Council Member Stacey Head:  Head has been the leading force on the City Council in pushing for the demolitions and mixed income housing.  (504) 658-1020

City Council Member Shelley Midura:  Encourage Midura to oppose the demolitions and support the reopening of public housing. (504) 658-1010

D.H. Griffin: The Contractors hired to demolish Lafitte.  For the locations of local offices across the South go to https://www.dhgriffin.com/about/locations.asp.  (888) 336-3366

Senator David Vitter: The Louisiana senator actively support the demolitions by blocking the passage of Senate Bill 1668: The Gulf Coast Recovery Act.  Put pressure on him to support SB 1668. Washington D.C. Office (202) 224-4623 New Orleans Office (504) 589-2753

Senate Banking,Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Members:  SB 1668 is currently stuck in the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee.  Demand that they approve SB 1668.

Senator Christopher Dodd (202) 224-2823
Senator Tim Johnson (202) 224-1638
Senator Jack Reed  (202) 224-4642
Senator Charles Schumer 202-224-0420
Senator Evan Bayh (202) 224-5623
Senator Tom Carper (202) 224-2441
Senator Robert Menendez (202) 224-4744
Senator Daniel Akaka (202) 224-6361
Senator Sherrod Brown (202) 224-2315
Senator Robert Casey (202) 224-6324
Senator Jon Tester (202) 224-2644
Senator Richard Shelby (202) 224-5744
Senator Robert Bennent (202) 224-5444
Senator Wayne Allard (202) 224-5941
Senator Michael Enzi (202) 224-3424
Senator Chuck Hagel (202) 224-4224
Senator Jim Bunning (202) 224-4343
Senator Mike Crapo (202) 224-6142
Senator John Sununu (202) 224-2841
Senator Elizabeth Dole (202) 224-6342
Senator Mel Martinez (202) 224-304

Send info about any solidarity actions happening to action@peopleshurricane.org with "Solidarity" in the subject line. If you have any questions contact the Stop the Demolition Coalition at action@peopleshurricane.org or call us at 504-458-3494.

Contact Elected Officials:

George Bush – President - (202) 456-1111
Alphonso Jackson, Secy of HUD - (202) 708-1112
Sen. Mary Landrieu, (202) 224-5824; Fax: 202-224-9735
Sen. David Vitter - (504) 589-2753, DC Office (202) 224-4623
Rep. William Jefferson Phone: (202) 225-6636; FAX: (202) 225-1988

Contact the following to let them know what a miscarriage of justice has been done in their support of demolition

Mayor of New Orleans Ray Nagin – (504) 658-4900
New Orleans City Council Members:
Arnie Fielkow - (504) 658-1060 AFielkow@cityofno.com
Jacquelyn Clarkson - (504) 658-1070 JBClarkson@cityofno.com
Stacy Head - (504) 658-1020 SHead@cityofno.com
Shelley Midura - (504) 658-1010 SMidura@cityofno.com
James Carter - (504) 658-1030 JCarter@cityofno.com
Cynthia Hedge-Morrell - (504) 658-1040 CHMorrell
Cynthia Willard-Lewis - (504) 658-1050 CWLewis@cityofno.com

 

Read the original Call to Action

The Faces:

Here are some of the public housing residents leading the struggle for affordable housing in New Orleans.


Photos by Mavis Yorks