Stop the Demolitions in New Orleans, Louisiana

Stop the Demolitions in New Orleans, Louisiana

Americas

United States

Louisiana

Public Housing Residents of St. Bernard; B.W. Copper, Lafitte and C.J. Peete Public Housing Complexes

20000

Adultos , Elderly people , Youth  , Women , Children , Squatters , Ethnic minority

Following the devastating Hurricanes of Katrina and Rita in 2005, Survivors of those storms are entitled to certain protections under the UN's Guiding Principles on Internally Displaced Persons. One of those protections includes the Right to Return to their former homes. Additionally, under international human rights law, Survivors of the storms are entitled to the Right to Adequate Housing. Yet, immediately following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita local, state and federal government officials put plans into place to ensure that public housing residents of New Orleans, Louisiana would not be able to return home. In the storms' wake, they boarded up and in some instances placed barbed fences around the public housing complexes to make sure that residents weren't able to enter. Most of these units hadn't been damaged by the hurricanes. Currently, government officials are demolishing over 4,800 units of public housing across the city. This will affect thousands of families. Given the astronomical increase in rents and the growing homeless population in New Orleans - which is double the figure it was before Katrina and Rita - the demolitions will ensure that poor, working class families that are predominately African American will NEVER be able to return to their beloved city of New Orleans.

International , Local , National

, ,

During the Fall of 2007, lawyers for the tenants bought a lawsuit requesting a stay to the demolitions due to irregularities on the part of the local government.
On November 21, 2007, national and international housing rights organizations sent a solidarity letter to the US Congress asking for a halt to the planned demolitions.
In November, 2007, the lawyers lost their lawsuit.
In early December, 2007, presidential candidates, including Barack Obama, issued press releases asking the Mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, to halt the pending demolitions given the housing crisis taking place in New Orleans.
On December 20, 2007, the New Orleans City Council voted for demolitions. They requested that HUD provide one for one replacement.
During the meeting, a majority of tenants were not allowed to enter the meeting hall and some were even arrested, pepper strayed and tasered.
After the vote US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to President George W. Bush requesting a halt to the demolitions given the housing crisis in New Orleans and the need to ensure one for one replacement.
Nevertheless, demolitions began in January, 2008.
On February 28, 2008, UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing and Special Representative on Minority Issues issued a joint press release calling for a halt to the demolitions and expressing concerns that tenants Right to Participation and Right to Housing had been violated.
On March 7, 2008, the UN Committee on CERD issued their Concluding Remarks of the U.S.'s report and expressed grave concern over race issues in the U.S. and in particular the lack of support to Katrina and Rita survivors.
In March 2008, Mayor Ray Nagin sent an offcial letter to Senator David Vitter, the Senator who strongly supports the demolitions and has expressed extreme venom towards public housing residents. In the letter, Mayor Nagin expressed his frustration that HUD still has NOT provide assurances of the one for one replacement.
March 31, 2008, HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson resigns due to allegations of corruption and self-dealing.

Survivors' Village
C3/Hands Off Iberville

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Tenant-based and led coalition effort. They have organized public protests and demonstrations, solidarity with public housing tenants and their supporters across the country and met with U.S. Congress members.

Professor Bill Quigley, Attorney Tracie Washington, Advancement Project, US Human Rights Network, NY Solidarity Coalition for Katrina and Rita Survivors, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative, National Lawyers Guild - Minnesota Chapter, Amnesty International USA,

Encouraging Congress to Pass Senate Bill 1668 which is called the Gulf Coast Recovery Act. This bill calls for one for one replacement of demolished public housing in New Orleans. It also provides the right to return for New Orleans public housing residents. Encourage Congress to have joint congressional hearings on the crisis in public and affordable housing ACROSS the country. HUD, under Hope VI has been demolishing units of public housing all across the US to make way for public/prviate development of mixed income housing which has lead to the displacemnent of thousands of low income and poor families across this nation.

We have asked members of Congress to conduct national hearings on the crisis in public and affordable housing that is occuring all across the country.

Tiffany Gardner, Director of the Special Project on Hurricane Katrina at the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative.

IAI members

application/mswordHow to Destroy a Black City.doc [44.50 kB]

application/mswordRevolution of Values.doc [37.00 kB]

19/03/2008

Gabriele Francescotto

Sam Jackson , public housing resident from B.W. Copper and member of C3/Hands Off Iberville and Survivor Village;

Susan Jasper , public housing resident from St. Bernard and member of Survivors Village; and

Kowana Jasper , public housing resident from St. Bernard and member of Survivors Village.