The Coalition to Stop the Demolitions stands in condemnation of the New Orleans City Council and Mayor C. Ray Nagin for their decision on Friday, Feb. 1, to issue demolition permits for the St. Bernard housing project. This decision was a blatant betrayal of the very provisos mandated by the Dec. 20 City Council Resolution and Dec. 21 mayoral letter to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

In an effort to justify their support for the 7-0 vote on Dec. 20, the mayor and City Council issued statements promising to hold HUD accountable to producing clear, financially guaranteed redevelopment plans and greater local representation in its decision making processes before the issuance of new permits. Given that their own conditions have not been met, it is now fully apparent that their true aim was merely to provide the appearance of being democratic and locally supported despite rapidly advancing the demolitions.

Further, the invocation of "public habitation" laws to criminalize the homeless demonstrates that the mayor and the City Council have no intention to humanely address the affordable housing crisis plaguing the city.

The Coalition to Stop the Demolitions intends to resist these callous maneuvers and fight to create a participatory and equitable solution to the housing crisis afflicting our beloved city and community. For more information, visit www.peopleshurricane.org and www.defendneworleanspublichousing.org
Coalition protests at home of Louisiana Sen. David Vitter

The community of advocates who protested at Sen. David Vitter's home this past Friday represents a diverse group of New Orleans residents and members of the Gulf Coast community who are determined to have our voices heard on the great need for access to sustainable affordable housing options. We are far from "fringe," a characterization attributed to the group by the senator.

Sen. Vitter continues to obstruct the passage of SB 1668. This legislation includes affordable housing solutions that would ensure that all former residents of New Orleans can return to their homes. Obviously, this is not Sen. Vitter's desire.

Over 4,500 units for working poor, elderly, disabled and underemployed families in New Orleans are now callously scheduled to be destroyed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) without any guarantee of one-for-one replacement and through his stubborn failure to support SB 1668, Sen. Vitter refuses to intervene in this tragedy of injustice while at the same time, blocking additional funds that the bill would make available to the area.

We want to remind the senator that the men, women and children forced to live on the streets in part from the failed policies he has created and implemented face a much greater "threat" to their personal safety than any protest at his home creates for him or his family. The safety and basic human rights of public housing residents, renters and the homeless displaced by the flood must be respected with equal measure as those of the senator.

We continue to call on Sen. Vitter to cease his inhumane and partisan opposition to SB 1668 and to respect the voices of those directly impacted by these polices to implement the solutions they desire and need. The Coalition to Stop the Demolitions is further resolved to meet with the senator per his invitation on the basis of mutual dignity and respect at any mutually agreeable time in the month of February.
Emergency meeting to defend the homeless of New Orleans

On Thursday, Mayor Ray Nagin announced that authorities would begin enforcing the city's "public habitation" ordinance after Mardi Gras. The practical effect of enforcing this law means homeless people will face arrest simply because they are living in the only affordable place for them - the public right of ways of the city.

Given the fact that a dire shortage of low income housing exists in New Orleans, the enforcement of the local public habitation law all but guarantees that thousands of people will be jailed for the "crime" of not having enough money to pay for an apartment or a hotel room. Justice demands that people of conscience join together to stop the city's plan to criminalize the homeless of New Orleans.

Support the Homeless Workers Council and C3/Hands Off Iberville by calling 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.

The Hurricane Information Relief Network is the Bay View newspaper's nonprofit 501(c)(3) project to provide information and news coverage by, for and about the Katrina survivors who remain stranded across the U.S. and those who want to return home to rebuild their lives and communities. Send news and financial contributions to HRIN, EIN 20-4324012, 4917 Third St., San Francisco CA 94124, (415) 671-0789 or toll free 1 (877) 226-8100, fax (415) 671-0316 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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