(WARNING------This is not a short quick post)
Everyday, the city of New Orleans and its residents struggle to rebuild. Rebuild their city, their lives, and their homes, but lets be honest. New Orleans wasn't a shining beacon of prosperity and productivity even in pre-Katrina times. One of the poorest metropolitan areas, leading the nation in violent crimes (in 1994 there were 425 homicides. That rate of 86 homicides per 100,000 has yet to be matched by any other US city), trailing the nation in education. I love the city just as much as any body else, but the good ole' days weren't necessarily all that good. In a city with so much misfortune with everything from politicians on down to football teams (GEAUX SAINTS!), we have learned first hand how to be optimistic and turn obstacles into opportunity. But when it comes to one of the most heated topics in reconstruction New Orleans, public housing, it seems residents have lost some of this vision.In order to understand the situation some background is needed. Since about 1940, various public housing "projects" have been all around the city. Low income families are able to live in these government assisted developments. Any one who knows much about urban planning know that placing high numbers of low income people in a concentrated area tends to equal bad things. Well these areas have become the slums and ghettos of the city. The many violent crimes that undoubtedly occur all around the metro area, are highly centralized around theses areas. The housing projects don't just harbor a significant portion of the city's crime, but they also showcase some of the worst living conditions in the city. Most of these complexes have had little or no modernization or refurbishing since their original construction. Doors and windows are cracked and broken, frames are plagued by termites, many conditions are just barely humane.
Now fast forward to 2004. After demolishing one of the aforementioned projects, the River Garden development opens in its place. The development itself is built with historic New Orleans style architecture and as opposed to cramming all the poor people together, is a mixed income area where many of the low-income families that lived in the projects on that site before, were able to get government assistance to live in the new area. Despite the projects positive intentions backed with data from city planning case studies, many residents protested the demolishing of the projects, claiming it was a way to "kick the poor residents out of New Orleans." (Keep in mind this is still in pre-Katrina times.) At this time, roughly 5,100 families live in public housing projects.Needless to say, Katrina did a number on many homes, both new and old alike. When faced with the task of rebuilding public housing in New Orleans, the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) decided it would be best to demolish the 4 largest housing projects, that were all but emptied in the aftermath of Katrina, in favor of these new River Garden style developments. To put the situation nicely, plans haven't progressed so smoothly. The protesters have even gone so far as to file a lawsuit against HANO. Protesters, which included public housing residents, attorneys, college students said that HUD is tearing down 4,500 apartments at a time when New Orleans is failing to provide rentals for the working poor. As "Demolition Day" (Dec 15) draws near, the former residents and preservationists have increased their protesting efforts, fighting te plan every step of the way. On Dec 10, the protesters struck a blow to HANO. The six member Housing Conservation District Review Committee that had supported (with votes of 4 - 2) the demolition of two of the projects, split 3 - 3 on another development. As anti-demo supporters celebrated their victory, HANO released some specifics of its plan.
The cost of restoring these developments just to pre-Katrina conditions would cost the city and its residents $130 million. Modernizing the buildings and bringing them up to code would cost $745 million, while demolition and redevelopment would cost $597 million. Not only would the project save the city nearly $150 million, the project would result in 5,108 units, a 608 unit gain. More and better, all for less. Also currently 300 livable units sit empty (before Katrina it was almost 2,000) as an answer to the argument that low income families have no options as far as housing. Around that same time, a poster began to circle the city. The posters depict a flaming condominium and declare “For every public housing unit destroyed, a condo will be destroyed. If there will be no homes for us and relief from high rents, there will be no homes for the rich either.”It’s signed “Sincerely, the angry and the powerless.”
I think my heart shed a tear. This is not what my city...... our city needs right now.
Despite the horror that was (and still is in many parts of the city) Hurricane Katrina, we are being presented an opportunity not only restore the city, but to improve it. It was no secret that these areas were scars on the beautiful face of the Big Easy and symbols of urban decay. I can understand the plight of conservationist that argues none of New Orleans should end up ultimately lost to Katrina. I personally have gotten into painful arguments about whether or not the city should be saved and rebuilt at all, but everything wasn't golden and some things are not worth saving. Preserving some of our historic neighborhoods such as the Treme area, yes. But not the pitiful excuse for acceptable housing that was the New Orleans projects. I don't want to get into the sociology and psychology of slums and ghettos, but long story short, it equals bad. So let's stop fighting progress in the name of restoration. (I think its significant to note that had it not been for said protesters, the entire redevelopment project would have been completed by now, whereas now the project is set to be completed by 2010)
These times are hard for everyone that for some reason loves New Orleans despite her many flaws and imperfections. We leave good jobs and good schools all over the nation to come back to New Orleans for no other reason than, its home. No one was treated fairly by FEMA and alot of people , are still felling the long lasting effects of that. We have seen first hand the effects of waiting for someone else to fix our problems instead of fixing them ourselves. But one thing the storm did do is give everyone a chance to take a step back and reexamine the city and its problems. "Even our poorest citizens deserve better conditions than these. Lets do something about that." Yet the same citizens that would directly benefit from such upgrades are the main ones fighting it. Rent is high for everyone. Insurance is high for every one. Living in 2007 New Orleans takes alot of hard work and sweat from everybody involved. This seemingly small step has potential to greatly affect the future of the city. Less slums, more desirable image, more business in the area, better wages, better teachers and thusly better education for our children. I don't think River Garden is the start of a New Orleanian utopia, but it sure as hell beats the projects.
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