The Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO), totally controlled by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is trying to demolish 4,500 public housing apartments. Residents and affordable housing advocates are resisting.

Demolition update

On Monday, Dec. 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.

So Lafitte, home to 850 families, cannot be demolished now. Other strategies are in the works to save the rest of the developments.

The Housing Authority 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 and 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 there this afternoon removing doors and windows! Residents and supporters called the media and they showed up to document the fiasco.

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.

Actions taken

On Sunday, residents and supporters marched in Santa hats to Mayor Nagin's house and poured coal on his lawn.

On Monday, over a hundred people attended a city demolition agency meeting. There were so many people, the meeting was moved to a larger room.

Tuesday, residents and supporters converged at Lafitte when HANO and contractors started taking off doors and windows despite the denial of the demolition permit.

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 at http://edola-bishop.blogspot.com. The bishop prayed in front of City Hall with residents and supporters as the group marched in on Monday, Dec. 10.

Presidential candidate opposes demolition

Today, John Edwards announced his opposition to demolition in New Orleans. See www.wwltv.com/local/stories/wwl121107tpedwards.67556c4.html.

Lawsuits

The federal class action on behalf of all residents is before the U.S. 5th Circuit Court Of Appeals on the residents' request for an injunction stopping the demolition.

A new federal suit was filed today in Washington, D.C., 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.

Flyer-gate

A poster was circulated in New Orleans on Dec. 10 that said: "For every public housing unit destroyed a condo will be destroyed." It showed a picture of a burning building. See www.nola.com for a copy of the poster. You can also see hundreds of the most racist, violent posts you can imagine.
Tracie Washington, advocate for the residents, said, "These posters are a diversion tactic and were probably put up by those who want to demolish public housing!"

Over 50 Organizations oppose demolition

The following groups have gone on record to oppose demolition and are endorsing the goals of the Coalition to Stop the Demolition: 1) No demolition until one-for-one replacement is guaranteed, 2) Resident participation in any redevelopment planning.

Organizational endorsements

Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, Agenda for Children, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee of New Orleans, Amnesty International USA, Anti Racism Working Group, Ashe Cultural Arts Center, Center for Empowered Decision Making, Central City Partnership, Christian Unity Baptist Church, Churches Supporting Churches, Common Ground Health Clinic, Critical Resistance New Orleans, C3 Hands Off Iberville, Ebenezer Baptist Church, European Dissent, Faith in Action Evangelistic Team, Faith Temple Church of God the Holy Ghost Center - New Orleans, First United Baptist Church, FYRE Youth Squad, Gert Town Revival Initiative, Inc., Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, INCITE! New Orleans, Left Turn Magazine, Louisiana Justice Institute, Louisiana Unity Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Mennonite Central Committee - New Orleans, Mennonite Disaster Service, Millions More Movement, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, National Trust for Historic Preservation, New Orleans Interfaith Worker Justice, New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival, New Orleans Women's Health & Justice Initiative, New Orleans Women's Health Clinic, New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice, Pax Christi - New Orleans, Peoples' Hurricane Relief Fund, People's Institute for Survival and Beyond, The Praxis Project, The Renaissance Project, Restaurant Opportunities Center, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Total Community Action Faith Collaborative, Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice, United Teachers of New Orleans, Youth Inspirational Connection, Inc., Youth Media Council

HUD funding bill update and call to action

This is a reminder that the rally on Friday, Dec. 14, 12 noon, at the Oakland City Center, on Broadway between 12th and 14th, to fight the demolition of public housing in New Orleans is also to fight against the NATIONWIDE attack on low income residents of public and affordable housing.
If New Orleans has taught us anything, it's that WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT: Low income homeowners who got stiffed by the insurance companies, private renters who can't afford to go back due to skyrocketing rents and public housing renters whose homes and communities are being needlessly demolished!

See the video, "Save New Orleans Public Housing,"

Support public housing residents from New Orleans to the Bay Area!

It is critical that you continue to call your legislators to demand their support for housing programs. According to estimates by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the president's budget could have resulted in a loss of Section 8 vouchers for 25,000 families, the deepest funding shortfall for public housing ever experienced, displacement of more than 400,000 low-income families from project-based Section 8 housing, and a significant reduction in housing for seniors and people with disabilities - by 22 and 47 percent respectively.

According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, the compromise bill will preserve HUD programs and avoid widespread displacement. It is critical that there is sufficient support to override a potential presidential veto. Call your legislators today to get their support for HUD funding! Call (877) 210-5351 and ask to be connected to the office of your Representative or Senator. Ask their office to commit to adequate funding for HUD programs!

To see how your representative voted on Nov. 14, go to http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1102.xml.

Bill Quigley is a human rights lawyer and law professor at Loyola University New Orleans and fights critical legal battles on behalf of the people there and in Haiti. He asks, "If you have any news to contribute, send it to me, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it "

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