Take action to save NOLA public housing
This is from Facing South (slogan: "Blogging for a Progressive South"), the excellent blog of the excellentInstitute for Southern Studies.Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Next Monday, Dec. 10, is International Human Rights Day. It's also the day when activists in New Orleans are calling for actions opposing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development plans to tear down more than 4,600 public housing units in four complexes across the city—while replacing them with private, mixed-income developments that will set aside only 744 apartments for low-income people.
The decision to demolish these public complexes, which suffered only relatively minor damage [PDF] during Hurricane Katrina, comes as rents across the city have doubled since the storm—as has the homeless population.
The activists are asking concerned citizens across the country to join the actions in New Orleans or to take action at home. According to a statement from Kali Akuno, director of the Stop the Demolition Coalition:
What is at stake with the demolition of public
housing in New Orleans is more than just the loss
of housing units: it destroys any possibility for
affordable housing in New Orleans for the
foreseeable future. Without access to affordable
housing, thousands of working class New Orleanians
will be denied their human right to return.
Although this situation is unique and urgent in the
city of New Orleans, it does not occur in
isolation. The plans for redevelopment here are
part of a national assault on public housing, in
which tens of thousands of homes have been
demolished in the past decade.
Organizers are asking supporters from across the country to organize demonstrations at local HUD offices and other government buildings. They are also asking them to make calls to government officials demanding the reopening of public housing in New Orleans. Among those leaders they are asking people to call:
* New Orleans City Council Member Stacy Head, who has been a leading force in pushing for the tear-downs. Her number is 504-658-1020.
* New Orleans City Council Member Shelley Midura, who is being asked to oppose the demolitions and support the reopening of public housing. Her number is 504-658-1010.
* D.H. Griffin, the North Carolina-based contractor hired to demolish the Lafitte complex. For locations of the company's offices across the South, click here. The toll-free number is 888-336-3366.
* U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), who's blocking passage of the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act (Senate Bill 1668). Sponsored by his colleague, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), the measure would require any demolished public housing units to be replaced by other units available to low-income residents. Vitter can be reached in Washington at 202-224-4623 and New Orleans at 504-589-2753.
* Members of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, where SB 1668 is currently stuck. They are Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) at 202-224-6361, Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) at 202- 224-5941, Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) at 202-224-5623, Robert Bennett (R-Utah) at 202-224-5444, Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) at 202-224-2315, Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) at 202-224-4343, Tom Carper (D-Del.) at 202-224-2441, Robert Casey (D-Pa.) at 202-224-6324, Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) at 202-224-6142, Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) at 202-224-2823, Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) at 202-224-6342, Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.) at 202-224-3424, Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) at 202-224-4224, Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) at 202-224-1638, Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) at 202-224-3041, Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) at 202-224-4744, Jack Reed (D-R.I.) at 202-224-4642, Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) at 202-224-0420, Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) at 202-224-5744, John Sununu (R-N.H.) at 202-224-2841 and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) at 202-224-2644.
Send information about any solidarity actions 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 504-458-3494. For more information on the issues at stake and planned protest actions, visit the websites of Defend New Orleans Public Housing , Justice for New Orleans, and the People's Hurricane Relief Fund http://www.peopleshurricane.org/.
Labels: affordable housing, hud, katrina, New Orleans, public housing
Support Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007 S. 1668
We received this from Amelie Ratliff of Mass Action for the Gulf Coast:Finally, there's a bill in Congress that would help some of the hardest hit Katrina survivors come back home. Unfortunately, it is about to die because some members of the Senate think it's fine for certain New Orleanians— specifically those who are Black and poor—to be shut out of the city.
I just called on my senators to support the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007 (S. 1668). It would re-open desperately needed housing and make sure there is no loss of affordable public housing in New Orleans. Please join me by contacting your senators and check out powerful videos about the housing situation in New Orleans created by Brave New Foundation and as part of the Voices from the Gulf Project. It takes just a moment:
http://www.colorofchange.org/s1668/?id=1834-142331
Saving Affordable Housing in New Orleans
New Orleans public housing residents have been fighting for over two years to return to apartments that were minimally damaged by the storm. But the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has shut them out, because it wants to demolish most of the available public housing units—and replace them with far fewer mixed-income housing.[1] The vast majority of the most affordable public housing units, pushing thousands of mostly Black low-income residents out of the city.
S.1668 honors the right to return of all New Orleans public housing residents. It requires the re-opening of at least 3,000 public housing units and ensures that there is no net loss of units available and affordable to public housing residents. It also designates $1.7 billion for rental housing assistance and earmarks millions for community development programs, which will benefit an even larger segment of the lower income population. But the bill is in danger of dying -- because some senators are opposed to preserving affordable public housing.
It's hard to know what motivates each senator, but it's an open secret that many folks have a desire to see a richer and Whiter post-Katrina New Orleans, and many of them have a great deal of political influence. Senators like David Vitter (La.) and Richard Shelby (Al.) appear to be playing to those interests by standing in the way of this legislation, and others are following their lead. If they win, it will be yet another instance of the federal government abandoning those most vulnerable during and after Katrina.
The Gulf Coast needs a housing policy that welcomes all citizens home, especially those who need the most help coming home. Senate bill 1668 is an opportunity to do that. Please join us in demanding that your senator support the bill.
http://www.colorofchange.org/s1668/?id=1834-142331
Thanks.
Labels: affordable housing, Gulf Coast, housing bubble, hud, katrina, New Orleans, public housing, S. 1668
Success! Thank You for Your Calls!
Thank you to all who called Barney Frank to ask him to allow New Orleans Public Housing residents to speak at yesterday’s meeting of the House Committee on Financial Services.
And thank you to Barney Frank for recognizing the importance of including testimony from a resident at yesterday’s hearings.
I received the following report from Anita Sinha, Staff Attorney at the Advancement Project, which, with Bill Quigley, Tracey Washington and the law firm of Jenner & Block, LLP, filed the class action lawsuit against HUD and HANO, on behalf of New Orleans public housing residents.
February 5, 2007
THANK YOU!
Today, representatives for displaced New Orleans public housing residents arrived in DC. They got off the bus and marched straight to the Hill. They spoke with a representative from the Financial Services Committee and Frank’s office. They were angry, passionate, sad, and eloquent. No one could relay their stories better than they could. Each asked why they were not being given a chance to speak at the hearing tomorrow.
As soon as I returned to my office, before I could take off my coat, I received a call from Mr. Frank’s office: Mr. Frank has decided that it would be a good idea to give 5 minutes to one representative from the residents group.
I wish I could convey how happy the residents were – I’ve worked with them for the past 6 months, and have not seen them that fired up. On behalf of them, thank you for your calls.
~Anita
Anita Sinha
Staff Attorney
Advancement Project
1730 M Street, NW #910
Washington, D.C. 20036
http://www.advancementproject.org
http://www.justdemocracyblog.org
Labels: barney frank, congress, hano, hud, nola, public housing
HUD Considers Allowing Public Housing Residents to Wait for Demolitions in Their Own Homes
US Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin recently met with the US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Alphonso Jackson, to negotiate the possible return of some New Orleans public housing residents to their homes .
In those meetings, Jackson said he would consider reopening more storm-damaged units to low-income people forced from their homes 16 months ago. Many have lived in Texas and elsewhere since the storm, unable to return.
"We're looking at, where possible, to phase in many of these developments," Jackson said recently. "Where we can save units for a period of time, we will do that. But where we can't, we need to bring the units down." ...
Waters, who plans hearings in New Orleans next month on the city's housing shortage, said HUD can begin razing the worst projects while allowing residents to live in those that had less water damage.
Waters is the incoming chair of the subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity for the House Financial Services Committee, which Barney Frank chairs. Without a call for cessation of all demoliton plans and a Congressional investigation, Waters' advocacy may only amount to St. Bernard residents coming home now and getting evicted later, when the public housing demolitions begin.
Elsewhere, Barney Frank was recently heard correctly referring to the New Orleans housing crisis as "ethnic cleansing through inaction." He has also recently been heard taking some clearly progressive economic positions :
[I]t's a problem that we have in America, and it's a problem that is worldwide.... the increasing separation of the well-being of the average citizen from overall economic growth.
[I]t has generally been an accepted fact that economic growth is a good thing and that the rising tide will lift all boats....
The rising tide lifts all boats has always been a problem. If you think about that analogy, the rising tide is a very good idea if you have a boat. But if you are too poor to afford a boat and you are standing tiptoe in the water, the rising tide goes up your nose. And so that's a mistake....
One of the consequences of this separation between economic growth and the well-being of the great majority of citizens is that an increasing number of citizens don't care about economic growth. Not surprising. Not only do they not benefit, but in many cases they get the short-term disruptive effects.
But the question remains: will Barney Frank and Maxine waters stop the ultimate destruction of public housing in New Orleans?
Barney Frank and Maxine Waters need to feel strongly supported by their constituents in taking uncompromising stands for the rights of public housing residents to return to—and keep—their homes.
(Cross-posted on Gulf Coast Fair Housing Network.)
Labels: alphonso jackson, barney frank, hud, katrina, maxine waters, nola, public housing, ray nagin, st. bernard