Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO), totally controlled by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is trying to demolish 4500 public housing apartments. Residents and affordable housing advocates are resisting.
On December 10, with over a hundred protestors cheering, the City of New Orleans historic district denied the demolition application of the housing authority for the Lafitte housing development. Sadly, they approved the rest of the applications before them. There were so many people the meeting had to be moved to a larger room.
So Lafitte, home to 850 families, cannot be demolished now. Other strategies are in the works to save the rest of the developments. However, the housing authority has promised to appeal the denial of the demolition of Lafitte. No date or time for that appeal is known at this time. Rumors are flying that the City of New Orleans is preparing to surrender without a fight & say that they do not have the legal authority to stop demolition.
Despite the ruling that Lafitte cannot be demolished, HANO workers and contractors showed up that afternoon removing doors and windows. Residents and supporters called the media and converged at Lafitte when HANO and contractors started taking off doors and windows despite the denial of the demolition permit. As night fell, the workers left and the apartments were left open for vandals. Supporters called on HANO to protect the apartments and promised to set up their own security if HANO did not.
Demolition started at BW Cooper yesterday afternoon. Dozens of protestors arrived on site. They blocked a driveway to prevent a bulldozer from entering. At 6:30 in the evening law enforcement pulled back and left one office guarding the bulldozer still left on the street.
Appeals of the decision to demolish BW Cooper and CJ Peete were filed with the City Council. One of the legal team discovered that the New Orleans City Code specifically requires the City Council to approve demolition of public housing. A request for the City Council to review the proposed demolitions was made late today.
The US 5th circuit refused to stop demolitions while the federal civil rights class action case for residents was being appealed.
Today’s march from City Hall to the Federal Building (HUD headquarters in New Orleans) was spirited – despite pushing and shoving at the federal building there were no arrests. Solidarity events were held in DC and Houston as well.
The National Lawyers Guild endorsed the residents’ fight and said no demolition. So did the Bay Area Labor Committee.
State court injunction was also filed today – hearing set for 10am Friday. Rallies in Oakland and Minneapolis are also set for Friday.
A big rally is set for St. Bernard Housing Development on Saturday at noon.
Save New Orleans Public Housing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuQv4eAsvGE
Louisiana Episcopal Bishop Asks for Halt of Demolitions
Bishop Charles Jenkins, head of the Episcopal Church in Louisiana, has come out publicly against the demolitions. See his statement to the City Council:
http://edola-bishop.blogspot.com
The Bishop prayed in front of City Hall with residents and supporters as the group marched in on December 10.
Presidential candidate opposes demolition:
John Edwards announced his opposition to demolition in New Orleans:
http://tinyurl.com/ytbxzz
Lawsuits:
The federal class action on behalf of all residents is before the U.S. 5th circuit court of appeal on the residents’ request for an injunction stopping the demolition.
A new federal suit was filed December 10th in Washington DC by the residents of St. Bernard development. They have partnered with the AFL-CIO Housing Trust and proposed a plan for St. Bernard that would guarantee that every person there when Katrina hit can come back to the same type of subsidized unit. That suit seeks an injunction.
The Louisiana Attorney General has been asked to intervene to stop the demolitions because HANO gave out over $20 million to demolish without complying with public bid laws.
Over 100 regional and national organizations oppose demolition:
The following 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. These organizations are as follows:
Gulf Coast and Regional Organizations:
Acadiana Regional Coalition on Housing & Homelessness (ARCH)
Acadiana Regional Development District
ACLU of Mississippi
Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice
Alabama Arise
Armstrong Family Services
Association of Family Fishermen
Back Bay Mission
Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organizing (BISCO)
Boat People SOS
Catholic Charities, New Orleans
Center for Fair Housing, Inc.
Chamber Southwest Louisiana
Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities of Mississippi
Coastal Women for Change
Collaborative Solutions
Common Ground Health Clinic
Florida Legal Services, Inc.
Fresh Start of Baton Rouge
From the Lake to the River: The New Orleans Coalition for Legal Aid and Disaster Relief
Georgia Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, Inc.
Grace Harbour Christian Ministries
Greater Houston Fair Housing Center
Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center
Greater New Orleans, Inc.
Gulf Coast Fair Housing Center (Biloxi, MS)
Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans
Hope for the Homeless, Inc
Hope House
Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority
Lake to the River: The New Orleans Coalition for Legal Aid and Disaster Assistance
Last Hope, Inc.
Lighthouse Community Development Corporation
Louisiana Advocacy Coalition for the Homeless
Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations
Louisiana Bayoukeeper, Inc.
Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council
Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Louisiana Housing Alliance
Louisiana Supportive Housing Coalition
Mental Health America of Louisiana
Mississippi Center for Justice
Mississippi Interfaith Disaster Task Force
Mobile Fair Housing Center
Moving Forward Gulf Coast, Inc.
MQVN Community Development Corporation, Inc.
NAMI Louisiana
New Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network
New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative
New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation
North Gulfport Community Land Trust
Northeast Louisiana Delta CDC
People Improving Communities Through Organizing - Louisiana Interfaith Together (PICO-LIFT)
National Organizations:
AARP
ACORN
Addicts Rehabilitation Center Foundation, Inc.
American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
Amnesty International USA
Catholic Charities USA
Center for Responsible Lending
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Color of Change
Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Housing Task Force
Consumer Mortgage Coalition
Enterprise Community Partners
Institute of Real Estate Management
Jonathan Rose Companies
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc.
Michaels Development Company
Mortgage Bankers Association
National Affordable Housing Management Association
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National AIDS Housing Coalition
National Apartment Association
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders
National Association of Home Builders
National Association of Realtors
National Black Chamber of Commerce
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD)
National Council on Independent Living
National Fair Housing Alliance
NCBA Housing Management Corporation
National Housing Conference
National Housing Law Project
National Housing Trust
National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
National Leased Housing Association
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Multi Housing Council
National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness
NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Oxfam America
PolicyLink
Poverty & Race Research Action Council
Religious Action Center for Reformed Judaism
Technical Assistance Collaborative
Tramell Crow Company
Travelers Aid International
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
United States Jesuit Conference
US Human Rights Network
Volunteers of America