[NYTr] Save New Orleans public housing

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

sent by Ed Pearl - Dec 10, 2007


http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2007/12/take-action-to-save-nola-public-housing.asp

Take action to save NOLA public housing

Facing South

Today, 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
<http://www.dhgriffin.com/about/locations.asp>.
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 at peopleshurricane.org with "Solidarity" in the
subject line. If you have any questions, contact the
Stop the Demolition Coalition at
action at 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:
http://www.defendneworleanspublichousing.org/

Justice for New Orleans http://www.justiceforneworleans.org/

People's Hurricane Relief Fund http://www.peopleshurricane.org/