NY Solidarity Coalition for Katrina/Rita Survivors

St. Bernard Resident Comments on Demolition

2008-03-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

Click here to see a video of comments made by a St. Bernard resident on demolitions currently taking place.

U.N. experts, HUD disagree on housing

2008-03-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

by The Times-Picayune
Thursday February 28, 2008, 10:10 AM

Two experts from the United Nations said thousands of black families would continue to suffer displacement and homelessness if the demolition of 4,500 public housing units is not halted, but federal housing officials in New Orleans countered that they have units available immediately for former public housing residents displaced by Katrina.

U.N.-appointed experts Miloon Kothari, the U.N. Human Rights Council's investigator for housing, and Gay McDougall, an expert on minority issues, urged U.S. and local government leaders to further include current and former residents in discussions that would help them return home.

"I think this is vindication of what public housing advocates have been saying from day one," said Monique Harden, co-director of the public interest law firm Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, who testified before Geneva-based U.N. experts.

"Recovery must mean the end of displacement for the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast," added Harden, who returned to New Orleans last week. "What we have instead is recovery that demolishes affordable housing."

"The spiraling costs of private housing and rental units, and in particular the demolition of public housing, puts these communities in further distress, increasing poverty and homelessness," said a joint statement by the experts. "We therefore call on the federal government and state and local authorities to immediately halt the demolitions of public housing in New Orleans."

But local officials said the U.N. experts were too detached from the complexities of the post-Katrina city to claim that razing of the buildings was racist. For example, while the U.N. experts called for residents to be included in discussions about public housing, many of those residents appeared at a New Orleans City Council meeting in December to commend architects and developers for meeting with them regularly to solicit their thoughts on the design of modernized public housing.

City officials were riled, but mostly they planned to ignore the finding.

"The past model of public housing in New Orleans has been a failed one. Years of neglect and mismanagement left our public housing developments in ruin," said a joint statement issued by the City Council Thursday. "These are critical times in our city's history. We can choose to continue on the path of progress and positive change, or we can choose to maintain the status quo."

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also weighed in, calling the U.N. expert findings "misinformed."

"We do not want to relegate thousands of minority and low-income families back into the substandard conditions of New Orleans' public housing, conditions only made worse by Hurricane Katrina," said a statement issued by HUD's press offices.

Officials from the Housing Authority of New Orleans said the agency has 253 traditional units available in public complexes. Eligibility for those units is limited to people who were public housing residents in New Orleans when Katrina struck. HANO has been renovating some units in complexes across the city to provide housing for former residents until the rebuilding of public housing and mixed-income neighborhoods is complete.

The experts' comments did not entail an official U.N. resolution, but they came a day before a larger U.N. racism panel planned to discuss Katrina recovery efforts and public housing in New Orleans. Neither opinion carries legal or regulatory power.

The demolition of the housing developments appears all but assured. Early stages have begun at some developments, and only demolition permits remain for others. The council voted unanimously in December to raze the units.

. . . . . . .

Staff writer Gwen Filosa contributed to this report.

Read Thursday's statement by UN human rights officials

2008-03-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

by The Times-Picayune
Thursday February 28, 2008, 11:05 AM

On Thursday, two United Nations human rights officials, Miloon Kothari, an Indian architect, and Gay McDougall, former executive director of Washington-based GlobalRights.org, issued a statement from Geneva, Switzerland that expressed concern about availability of affordable housing in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. Kothari is the UN Special Rapporteur "on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living," while McDougall is the UN "Independent Expert on minority issues."

Here's their statement:

"We are deeply concerned about information we continue to receive about the housing situation of people in New Orleans , Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region. African-American communities were badly affected by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. The spiraling costs of private housing and rental units, and in particular the demolition of public housing, puts these communities in further distress, increasing poverty and homelessness. There are reports that more than 12,000 people are homeless in the greater New Orleans metropolitan area alone.

A number of reports suggest that federal, led by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and local government decisions concerning public housing in New Orleans would lead to the demolition of thousands of public housing units affecting approximately 5,000 families who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The demolition of the St. Bernard public housing development apparently commenced the week of 18 February 2008 and others are planned for the Lafitte, B.W. Cooper, and C.J. Peete public housing developments.

Meaningful consultation and participation in decision-making of communities and families affected by these demolitions and related redevelopment proposals appears not to have taken place. While we understand the intention to replace the demolished housing, we understand that only a portion of the new housing units will be for residents in need of subsidized housing and the remainder will be offered at the market rate. Further, we understand that the new housing will not be available for a significant period of time nor will there be one for one replacement for housing units destroyed. These demolitions, therefore, could effectively deny thousands of African-American residents their right to return to housing from which they were displaced by the hurricane.

The authorities claim that the demolition of public housing is not intentionally discriminatory. Notwithstanding the validity of these claims, the lack of consultation with those affected and the disproportionate impact on poorer and predominantly African-American residents and former residents would result in the denial of internationally recognized human rights.

The right to an adequate standard of living enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights includes the right to adequate housing. The international community has made it clear that those displaced from their place of residence, whether by conflict or natural disaster, should have their rights particularly protected in reconstruction efforts. The inability of former residents of public housing to return to the homes they occupied prior to Hurricane Katrina would in practice amount to an eviction for those who returned or wish to return. International human rights law prohibits evictions from taking place without due process, including the right of those evicted to be given due notice and opportunity to appeal eviction decisions. It also requires the authorities to ensure that large-scale evictions do not result in massive homelessness and to consult those affected on relocation or alternative housing solutions.

International human rights law, including relevant provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, also clearly prohibits actions that result in a discriminatory impact denying individuals or group's equal enjoyment of human rights because of their race, ethnicity, social or other status.

We therefore call on the Federal Government and State and local authorities to immediately halt the demolitions of public housing in New Orleans . This measure should be accompanied by all measures ensuring genuine consultation and participation of current residents - or former residents wishing to return - in all relevant decisions. We also call on the authorities to ensure that redevelopment plans do not discriminate against former residents and that every effort is made to consider alternatives to demolition or redevelopment proposals, so as to protect the rights of the poorer and predominantly African-American communities displaced by Hurricane Katrina".

The above mentioned UN independent experts sent a letter to the United States Government on 17 December 2007 in regard to this situation noting their concern about allegations received and asking for further information. They encourage the authorities to give urgent attention to this issue and consider alternative proposals, such as those reflected in the provisions of draft Senate Bill 1668, which would be more protective of the rights of the more vulnerable groups affected by the Hurricane.

For further information on the mandate and work of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing and the Independent Expert on minority issues, please consult respectively the following websites:

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/housing/index.htm http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/minorities/expert/index.htm

New Orleans' Wrecking Ball Levels Healthy Homes

2008-02-21T15:19:00.000-08:00

NPR.org, January 22, 2008 · The Rev. Louis Adams had a dream. His church in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward was going to be a beacon for struggling single mothers, alcoholics and the destitute.

But what used to be Holy Ground Baptist Church is now an empty, muddy lot.

It's on a block in which only one house remains standing. Empty lots stretch for blocks in every direction. The muddy, post-urban landscape is broken only by weeds, piles of debris or the occasional shell of a house or a FEMA trailer.

"We was ready to move back in here. We was ready to move back in here," Adams says.

Adams spent most of 2006 trying to get a building permit to repair his church. In October, while he was still negotiating with officials at city hall, a demolition permit was issued and contractors bulldozed his sanctuary.

"Someone was supposed to meet us out here. No one came. We came two days later, our church was completely demolished," Adams says.

Like most buildings in the Lower Ninth Ward, the Holy Ground Baptist Church was damaged by Katrina and the extensive flooding that followed. Adams says the damage to his church was minor compared with many of his neighbors' homes.

Adams says he followed the process set up by the city to deal with properties severely damaged by Katrina. He had the building gutted and boarded up as required. He got city inspectors to re-characterize his damage as being less than 50 percent. He submitted pictures, plans and proof of ownership.

City council member Stacey Head says on paper, the procedure set up by the city is a good one. It requires public notice and a hearing before a demolition takes place.

But, she says, the procedure "doesn't work this way, at all."

'Destroying a Treasure'

In 2006 and 2007, FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers demolished thousands of severely damaged homes. Now almost two and a half years later, the city has taken over the task. Officials estimate that roughly 20,000 derelict structures remain. Of that group, more than 1,000 are on a list for potential demolition.

Head acknowledges that abandoned, blighted properties remain a huge problem in New Orleans, but she says the process to deal with them right now is too rushed and too chaotic.

For example, a number of properties were put on the list for demolition on the Thursday or Friday before New Year's Eve, which was a Monday. A public hearing was scheduled for New Year's Eve day.

"I don't think that's very good notice, when you're talking about demolishing someone's house and also destroying a treasure that you can never get back," Head says.

Chanel Debose almost lost such a treasure. Chanel grew up in the Calliope Housing Projects of New Orleans. She went on to Louisiana State University and became a lawyer. In 2001, Chanel and her husband, Stanley, bought a rambling old Victorian in Mid-City for $15,000.

Stanley restored the pine floors, the leaded glass windows and the carved wooden mantels. He built the kitchen cabinets, which now have granite counter tops, from scratch.

Then last year, contractors hired by the city showed up at their house, shut off the gas, clipped the power lines and were getting ready to knock it down.

"What I don't understand is how do you not inquire? How do you not knock on the door? I just don't get it. I just don't get it," Chanel says.

Chanel convinced the contractors to go away and got her power restored, but their house remains on the city's demolition list.

Their house flooded during Katrina. They escaped in Stanley's boat, and their house did suffer some damage. But you'd never know it now. Stanley painted the outside bright yellow and restored the 100-year-old woodwork inside. Bold Afro-centric art adorns their walls.

Understanding the Process

Chanel and Stanley Debose were lucky. They were in their house and were able to stop the demolition.

But more than 100,000 former New Orleaneans who fled after Katrina still haven't returned. And 10,000 of them are still waiting for state compensation so they can afford to rebuild.

Davida Finger, a staff attorney at the Katrina Clinic at Loyola Law School, has sued the city of New Orleans over the demolition process. Currently, individual adjudication hearings are legally required before demolition, but in practice, they don't always take place. The suit seeks to bolster compliance with the law to avoid the types of bureaucratic mistakes that nearly cost the Debose family their home.

"Those mistakes were not caught and homes were demolished — structurally sound homes, homes that were being rebuilt," Finger says.

One common complaint from people who are trying to stop demolitions is that they are unable to get information or help from city hall about the entire process.

Repeated phone calls by NPR to the city's code enforcement department, which is responsible for demolitions, went unanswered.

--Jason Beaubien, All Things Considered

CDC Urges Hurricane Victims to Leave Trailers

2008-02-19T23:14:00.000-08:00

NPR.org, February 14, 2008 · Federal health officials on Thursday urged hurricane victims to move out of trailers supplied by FEMA after tests showed dangerous levels of formaldehyde fumes.

Tests by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on more than 500 trailers in Louisiana and Mississippi showed formaldehyde levels that were five times higher than levels in a normal house. The levels in some trailers were nearly 40 times what is normal.

The CDC said people should move out quickly — especially children, the elderly and anyone with asthma or another chronic condition. Warmer temperatures can increase formaldehyde levels, and CDC officials said they want residents to move out of the trailers before summer.

Formaldehyde is a toxic chemical used to manufacture mobile homes. A CDC director said the high levels can cause burning eyes and breathing problems for people with asthma and those sensitive to air pollutants.

FEMA provided about 120,000 trailers in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. By 2006, many people were complaining of nosebleeds, headaches and other illnesses. Some of them testified before Congress last summer, and at least 1,000 families have asked FEMA to move them.

Katrina's Effects on Mental Health Finally Being Addressed

2007-12-05T11:59:00.000-08:00

This overlooked aspect of hurricane survivors' experiences is now being given a little bit of press in the Health Research section of the New York Times. But what are we going to do about it?

More People in NO Facing Homelessness for the Holidays

2007-12-05T11:27:00.000-08:00

Starting last month, FEMA has begun evicting hurricane survivors in New Orleans from the temporary trailers that were provided after the storm. FEMA states that the evictions are a part of the process of moving residents to permanent housing and that they are working to assist all residents with the move.

The residents themselves, however, have a different story to tell. Many said that they had not been able to contact a FEMA caseworker in weeks, even though their evictions are scheduled for the next few days. Those who have spoken with caseworkers often report that the information they gained was useless. The apartments FEMA has found for residents are either far above any conceivable price range, or they are not in suitable living condition. As for the 4,000 public housing units in which many of these people used to live, they are being demolished to make way for mixed-income projects which will not be affordable to previous residents, and will not be finished until 2010. To make matters worse, jobs are scant, and many residents now are facing the possiblity of becoming homeless.

There are already twice as many homeless people in the city than before the storm. Today the number of people living under bridges and in parks is at around 12,000.

“'FEMA and the federal bureaucracy seem oblivious to the fact that virtually no new affordable rental housing has yet appeared in New Orleans to replace what was lost,' said Martha J. Kegel, executive director of Unity of Greater New Orleans, a group of 60 agencies that house and feed the homeless. 'It will take a long time for enough replacement affordable housing to be built. To withdraw housing assistance to the neediest people is a shirking of federal responsibility for the design failure of the federal levees in New Orleans, which was the cause of most of the destruction of affordable housing here.'
In the past several months, a homeless encampment has sprung up on the steps of City Hall — partly because it is a safe open space and partly because it is a political statement. Tents and sleeping bags are aligned in rows. The crowd of hundreds is a mix of young and old, white and black."

Via The New York Times

Come To New Orleans December 10th to Stop Illegal Demolitions!!

2007-12-04T13:07:00.000-08:00

December 10th is Human Rights Day. Come to New Orleans December 10th and join the Stop the Demolition Coalition as we mount a campaign to stop the demolition of public housing.

The demolition of all four major public housing developments has been set for mid-December. We are calling on our national allies to join with the residents of New Orleans and all those who believe in the human right to housing to resist demolition.
I Pledge:

"I believe in the fundamental human right to housing, and I will not be a witness to the denial of this right to the peoples of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. I therefore pledge myself to resist the denial of this right by all civil and humanitarian means available, including civil disobedience. I pledge to stand ready to take action against this imminent threat and to put myself on the line, either directly in New Orleans or in strategic locales throughout the US, in support of the demands and leadership of the peoples of New Orleans and their organizations in the struggle for housing and human rights."

We ask that all those interested in coming to New Orleans to contact us before making the journey. We need to ensure that everyone coming is registered, properly orientated and trained in order to partake in this act of resistance in the manner determined by the local leaders and residents. If you are already in New Orleans, please sign the pledge so we know how to contact you, to let you know about local updates and meetings.

Please contact us via email at action@peopleshurricane.org, with the word "registration" in the subject line. Please include the following information:

Name:
Affinity Group/Organization (if applicable):
Phone:
Email:
Have you ever received any training in civil disobedience?
What skills/resources are you able to bring to New Orleans?

Remember - the primary role of people coming to New Orleans to join in this fight is to be ALLIES, and not to be part of major decision making.

All making this pledge must be advised of the following:

Given the limited timeframe and resources of the various organizations spearheading this fight -
*Legal counsel and aid. All effort is and will be made to provide adequate legal support, but the reality is that it is limited at present.
*Lodging and food. Again, given the uncertain timeline and limited resources, housing venues are presently limited, but all effort will be made to support all those making this bold pledge. Housing is almost entirely limited to tenting space, so please bring all appropriate camping gear for tenting in cold weather. Please make as many of your own arrangements and bring as many of your own supplies as possible.

For more information, please contact Stop the Demolition Coalition at action@peopleshurricane.org, or call us at 504.458.3494.

Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win!
If you are coming to New Orleans:
Please think about forming an affinity group before you get here. Different roles in an affinity group can be:

* point person to coordinate with local leadership
* legal support person/people for members of your group
* medics
* photo/videographer (for documentation of events and indymedia coverage in your own area)
*police liasion
*arrestees
etc, etc.

if your group has some of its own logistical needs taken care of, this will help local organizers coordinate on a broader level. For example, if each affinity group has a legal support person, they can coordinate with the local legal team to make sure everyone's legal needs are taken care of.

We really need as many people here as possible, but if you are unable to join us in New Orleans, here are some ways you can help:

*financial donations (email us at action@peopleshurricane.org for info on where to send donations)

*organize a solidarity demonstration at your local HUD (Housing and Urban Development) office for the week of December 10.

This will be an ongoing campaign. If you are not able to come for the week of the 10th but would like to receive updates on the campaign, send back the pledge and let us know your availability.

Brad Pitt's Fancy New Plan For NO

2007-12-03T21:19:00.001-08:00

I think it's time we address this issue. An article today in the New York Times (in the Art & Design section, I might add) lays out Brad Pitt's plans for rebuilding the Ninth Ward:

"The project, called Make It Right, calls for building 150 affordable, environmentally sound houses over the next two years. In a telephone interview from New Orleans, where he plans to present the designs today, Mr. Pitt said the residents of the neighborhood had been homeless long enough. 'They’re coming up on their third Christmas,' he said."

Though the project is daunting, Pitt remains unfazed. 'If you have this blank slate and this great technology out there, what better test than low-income housing?' Mr. Pitt said. 'It’s got to work at all levels to really be viable.'"

The article sates that the green buildings will "reduce upkeep costs by at least 75 percent." The project is being funded by Pitt himself as well as foundations, corporations, and individuals. He is asking donors to "adopt a house" or a portion of one.

"Responding to critics who question the wisdom of rebuilding at all in an area likely to get hit again, Mr. Pitt said: 'My first answer to that is, talk to the people who’ve lived there and have raised their kids there. People are needing to get back in their homes.''

The website for the project has more details on the plans, calling the rebuilding effort "The Pink Project." Pitt acknowledges that initiatives for rebuilding New Orleans have failed the survivors whose homes were damaged, and seems to realize that something needs to be done on their behalf, however it is unclear whether or not he is in favor of demolitions. He has not spoken out thus far concerning many aspects of this complicated situation, and it seems to me he isn't looking far beyond the appeal of a challenging learning experience in the field of architecture, one of his main interests.

Any thoughts?

To those of you at the CUNY panel this evening...

2007-11-29T18:50:00.000-08:00

It was wonderful meeting all of you! I want everyone to feel welcome to post their thoughts, concerns, suggestions etc. on this blog. It's just getting off the ground, but I hope for it to become a great resource for information concerning issues surrounding Katrina and Rita, as well as other issues affecting our communities and our country. I would like this blog to serve our community of Katrina/Rita survivors and their allies as best as it possibly can.

I hope to see all of you again very soon!
In solidarity,
Jennifer Waller

Summary of the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act of 2007

2007-11-29T18:49:00.000-08:00

The Gulf Coast Civic Works Act of 2007 will ensure that real progress is made toward rebuilding and sustaining the Gulf Coast region. As part of a package of concurrent legislation, this bill establishes a federal authority to coordinate recovery projects, rebuild key infrastructure, and revitalize the region’s workforce. This bill does the following:

Takes Action to Jumpstart Recovery:
• Establishes the Gulf Coast Recovery Authority to implement and coordinate the necessary federal response to the devastation of the Gulf Coast
• Authorizes and funds the Civic Works Project to rebuild vital infrastructure and develop the local workforce benefiting workers, residents and local businesses
• Coordinates existing local, state, and federal programs to ensure rapid, effective, and efficient recovery
• Encourages displaced families to return with quality jobs rebuilding their communities

Rebuilds Vital Public Infrastructure:
• Provides workforce and project management for the reconstruction of critical infrastructure and services to ensure that businesses and communities prosper
• Rebuilds and repairs community assets including housing, schools, police and fire stations, city halls, court houses, roads, utilities, and cultural centers
• Builds an adequate levee system and restores marshes, wetlands, and other environmental features to provide natural flood protection for coastal residents
• Serves as a national model for disaster recovery and infrastructure development

Spurs Sustainable Community Development:
• Strengthens the regional workforce by providing jobs and needed skills training
• Improves living conditions for working families by offering prevailing wages
• Creates opportunity for low income workers through apprentices to receive the skills necessary to participate in high wage construction trades work.
• Builds regional economy offering local and displaced workers as the first source for hiring and gives local businesses priority for contracts
• Through local advisory councils, local community-based groups and local officials determine what projects are implemented in their communities.
• Promotes and develops the regions cultural heritage

Creates Opportunities for Public/Private Partnerships:
• Creates at least 100,000 jobs for Gulf Coast residents to participate in the rebuilding of their communities
• Creates opportunities for local businesses to participate in rebuilding and development projects through competitive contract bidding
• Supports sustainable industrial and commercial development of the Gulf Coast region and the greater Mississippi River corridor

Requires Accountability:
• Requires oversight and community participation in all recovery projects
• Authorizes funding for project review boards and regular financial audits
• Requires regular reports on project accomplishments and solvency

Gulf Coast Civic Works Project
www.SolvingPoverty.com (510) 508-5382

Hano Approves $30 Million in Demolition Contracts

2007-11-29T10:35:00.001-08:00

Update on the plans for the demolition of public housing in New Orleans via
The Times-Picayune

"HANO approves $30 million in demolition contracts
Posted by The Times-Picayune November 29, 2007 10:24AM
Categories: Breaking News
By Gwen Filosa
Staff writer

The Housing Authority of New Orleans on Thursday approved more than $30 million in contracts for citywide demolition of vacant brick buildings at five developments, part of its sweeping plan to transform New Orleans public housing.

Demolition will begin Dec. 15, said HANO spokesman Adonis Expose, but no specific plans were announced Thursday.

HUD announced in June that it would demolish the city's four largest developments, St. Bernard, Lafitte, C.J. Peete and B.W. Cooper to make way for "mixed income" neighborhoods.

HANO board commissioner Donald Babers approved the following demolition plans Thursday, without a word of comment from the 20 people who attended the meeting in Algiers:

-- $9 million for the demolition of 132 buildings at the vacant St. Bernard development, in agreement to St. Bernard Redevelopment.

-- $6 million for demolition of vacant buildings at the B.W. Cooper, in agreement with Keith B. Key Enterprises. HANO also awarded an additional $955,000 to Keith B. Key for "certain predevelopment expenses."

-- $5.8 million for the demolition of 55 buildings at the vacant C.J. Peete, in an agreement with Central City Partners.

-- $2.5 million for the demolition of 70 vacant buildings at the Lafitte, awarded to D.H. Griffon of Texas, Inc.

-- $6.3 million for the demolition of buildings and the construction of streets, lighting and other utility infrastructure at the Fischer, to support new home construction, awarded to Boh Brothers Construction."

What this article does not tell you is that though these buildings are vacant, they are still full of poeple's belongings. The hurricane survivors who left the buildings empty have yet to be able to return home to their lives in New Orleans. Demolishing these houses will rob countless hurricane survivors of their homes and belongings.
We must stop this from happening! Read the post below entitled "5 Easy Actions to Resist Demolition of New Orleans Public Housing" to find out how you can help!

Students and Faculty to Gather in New Orleans on January 13th!

2007-11-29T10:27:00.000-08:00

Colleges to Design Strategy to Pass the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act (HR 4048)

The Gulf Coast Civic Works Project invites you to a gathering in New Orleans at Loyola University on Sunday, January 13 from 9 am-5 pm, to plan the campaign to pass the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act (HR 4048).

If you are a student or faculty and would like to attend this meeting, please sign up at www.SolvingPoverty.com

HR 4048, which is co-sponsored by Reps. Charlie Melancon of Louisiana and Gene Taylor of Mississippi, calls for the creation of 100,000 civic work jobs to rebuild Gulf Coast housing and public infrastructure. The goal is to jumpstart the recovery by empowering communities with the resources they need to lead, and to bring home displaced Gulf Coast residents.

For more information about the January 13th gathering, please call Dr. Scott Myers-Lipton at 510-508-5382. Reasonably priced accommodations are listed below.

*A FAVOR: * *Please distribute widely to your e-mail network*.

*HISTORY OF HR 4048:*
Prompted by a proposal developed at students and faculty at San Jose State University, U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren has introduced in Congress the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act (HR 4048), groundbreaking legislation offering a renewed federal commitment to rebuild communities destroyed by hurricanes Katrina and Rita by empowering the region's greatest assets, the disaster's
survivors. Reps. Charlie Melancon of Louisiana and Gene Taylor of Mississippi are co-sponsoring the bill.

"Students have figured out what many others have yet to discover, and that is Gulf Coast residents and evacuees need living wage jobs to rebuild their own communities," said San Jose State Professor Scott Myers-Lipton, a national poverty expert. "During the New Deal, the federal government established public works programs that created jobs for over eleven million
people who built and repaired thousands of hospitals, schools and playgrounds. This is exactly what the Gulf Coast needs now."

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights have also been active participants in the creation of HR 4048. Professor Myers-Lipton estimates at least $4 billion in federal funding is needed to implement critical infrastructure projects that would result in 100,000 jobs for residents of hurricane-ravaged communities in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. HR 4048 would also give local residents and businesses top priority for jobs and contracts, and create a civilian conservation corps for young adults working on environmental programs to rebuild wetlands and urban greenery.

HR 4048 has been in assigned to Education and Labor Committee for further consideration. Read HR 4048 at http://thomas.loc.gov/. Read more from Rep.Lofgren on HR 4048 at http://lofgren.house.gov/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=1846 . Read more on the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project at http://www.solvingpoverty.com/ . Read more on Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights at http://www.rfkmemorial.org/. Read more on ACORN Louisiana at http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=8219.

*LOCAL HOTELS / HOSTELS / VOLUNTEER GUEST HOUSES:*

Frenchmen Hotel
417 Frenchmen St.
504-948-2166
Starting at $59 a night.

Schiro's Balcony Guest House
2483 Royal St.
800-395-2124
Starting at $49 a night / weekly $300/ monthly $1000.

India House Hostel
124 S. Lopez St.
504-821-1904
$17 a night for a dorm room/ $40 for a single.

Marquette House
2249 Carondelet St.
504-523-3014
Private Room $50- $80
16 Person Dorm $270/ night ($17 per person)
8 person Dorm $136/ night ($17 per person)

St. Charles Guest House
1714 Prytania St.
504-523-6556
$40 a night volunteer rate

Dauphine Orleans Hotel
415 Dauphine Street (French Quarter)
$89 night (includes breakfast)
504-586-1897
*every night that a volunteer stays in the hotel, they donate $10 to ACORN*

Operation Nehemiah
Volunteer Housing.
$20 dollars a night (three meals included)
Contact: Laura Paul at (504)344-4884.

5 Easy Actions to Resist Demolition of New Orleans Public Housing

2007-11-22T11:24:00.000-08:00

Please read this and pass it on!

Dear Local and National Friends in Solidarity with New
Orleans Tenants:

Re: Five Easy Action Options!

As we promised when we first announced our new e-mail
address, we are back to you with specific action
steps. Here they are:

1. You can help us get the Gulf Coast Housing
Recovery Act of 2007 adopted by the US Congress.
This piece of legislation (S.1668) would stop the
demolitions in New Orleans! The bill has already
passed the US House, but must also be adopted by the
US Senate. It is now stalled in a Senate Committee,
the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Committee. It is not clear why the bill is not moving
forward in that committee since the Committee is
Chaired by Sen. Chris Dodd (presidential candidate)
and chief sponsor of the bill ( S.1668). Democrats
have a majority in the Committee (11-10) and in
addition to Sen. Dodd, three of the Democrats on hte
committee are co-sponsors of hte bill! In addition,
withthe exception of Sen. Shelby of Arkansas (ranking
Republican on the Committee) there are no Deep South
Republicans on the Committee. Most are from the west
(Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming). Another positive
note is that Sen. Hagel (R-Nebraska) is on the
Committee and several Katrina Survivors in Omaha
could be paying him a visit while he is home for the
Thanksgiving Recess. (Earl: is this one for you?)
Actually, several of he Committee members could stand
a little "visit" and gentle nudge to GET THIS BILL
MOVING! Aside from Sen. Hegel (R-Nebrasks), the
nearest Senator to Minnesota is Sen. Tim Johnson
(D-South Dakota) but our friends/allies in the eastern
states have better opportunities since there are
Comittee members (all Dems) from New York, Delaware,
Rhode Island, and New Jersey. All in all, it is hard
to imagine a better Committee for us so let's see what
we can do together to get this important bill moving
again! Time is getting short, but there still is time!
To review the entire Committee membership, see
http://banking.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Information.Membership&IsTextOnly=1
. More on this later.

2. Get ready to publicly condemn HUD Abuse of Human
Rights at the nearest HUD Office! By a separate
e-mail message, we have sent you a copy of the
Provisional Notice of Condemnation that we have sent
tonight to federal officials [Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD)]who are responsible for
the planned demolition of the 5,000 housing apartments
in New Orleans. We have given the HUD officials 48
hours to publicly announce that they are halting the
demolition and will work with tenants to design the
future of public housing in New Orleans. We will let
you know if HUD announces a change of plans. We do
not think they will at this point, so get ready for
the next stage: after the CONDEMNATION NOTICE becomes
"final" we would like you to print out copies of our
CONDEMNATION NOTICE and organize demonstrations or
"visits" to HUD OFFICES to deliver copies of the
CONDEMNATION NOTICE in person and to deliver a clear
message: "The US is a Human Rights Abuser! Respect
Human Rights of ALL People! Stop the Demolitions in
New Orleans!" Let us know what you do and what you
experience. If you make video of your action, post it
on websites available to you and send us a copy so we
can publicize your action here.

3. Send us your Solidarity Poems, Prayers, and
Promises! Last Saturday, we sent you a message
introducing the idea of world-wide "Poems, Prayers,
and Promises". If you have a poem, prayer, or a
promise that you would like to share with us and the
people of New Orleans, please send it!

4. Radicalize your friends & family BEFORE that
Thanksgiving dinner conversation! Continue the Slide
Show Education & Outreach: Visit one of the greatest
websites focusing on the New Orleans housing struggle:
www.justiceforneworleans. There you will find,
among other things, the New Orleans Housing slide show
http://justiceforneworleans.org/index.php?module=article&view=98&page_num=2
). But EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, you can easily forward
the Slide Show to friends. It's easy to do. Just
click on the word "email" at the bottom left of the
slide show and you can send the whole deal to friends.
Here is what the page looks like.

Bill Quigley's presentation about the housing
situation is New Orleans. Quigley shows who wins and
who loses. Guess who?
SlideShare | View | Upload your own

5. Forward these Action Options to friends and
allies.

Together we can! Together we will! In solidarity,

The Minnesota-New Orleans Solidarity Committee

November 29th Event: From False Promises to Resistance

2007-11-22T11:16:00.000-08:00

The event earlier planned for the 28th has been changed to the 29th. Here is the flyer with all the info:

FROM FALSE PROMISES TO RESISTANCE: The Truth of Political Resistance to Continued Displacement and Neglect in NYC of Katrina/Rita Survivors

On Thursday, November 29, from 5:30 to 7:30, The Murphy Institute for Worker Education will host the New York Solidarity Committee of Katrina and Rita Survivors (NYSCKRS) who will offer a political analysis of their experiences during and post the US Government’s failure to respond to the emergency created by a natural disaster. The injury caused by government neglect continues.

The survivors and their supporters will also suggest what students and unions can do politically to protect the human rights of persons who are displaced by the tragedy. All students, staff, and faculty of JSM are urged to attend. CWA Local 1180 Urban Leadership students can volunteer to assist the solidarity committee as satisfaction of their semester volunteer requirement.

The solidarity committee presenters will be survivors of Katrina and Rita now living in NYC and local faith leaders who help them. They will also be union activists from DC 37, 1199, and PSC and Sarah Lawrence students.

In addition to a showing of two short DVD’s and brief presentations from committee members, the committee will lead us in a substantive q&a that includes how we can assist it with:

• Stopping the Demolition of Public Housing in New Orleans;
• The Recognition of Survivors as internally displaced persons under international law;
• Passing of federal legislation creating a civil works project for the Gulf region, introduced by Cong. Benny Thompson (D. Miss.); and
• Lobbying CBC to hold congressional hearings on the management of federal disaster funds by the Red Cross

Date: November 29, 2007; Time: 5:30 to 7:30; Place: JSM 25 w 43 street 18th floor. For more information contact Ajamu Sankofa, JSM Urban Leadership Coordinator at 212-642-2081. Light Refreshments.

University Students Solidarity Letter!

2007-11-18T21:15:00.000-08:00

If you are a student please take the time to sign this!

This letter is part of a multi-pronged strategy. The strategy includes:

(i) a solidarity letter that has been signed by prominent international and national human rights and housing rights groups denouncing the demolitions;
(ii) statements from UN representatives denouncing the demolitions;
(iii) a rally in NOLA; and
(iv) the University Students Solidarity Letter, among other initiatives.

Please print this letter, date and sign it, including your school affiliation, and fax it to Senators Vitter and Landrieu. Senator Landrieu is the other senator from Louisiana. She's been supportive of the bill so it will be strategically important for her to be aware of the number of letters Vitter is getting on this.

Vitter's information: Fax: (202) 228-5061
Phone: (202) 224-4623

Landrieu's information: Fax: (202) 224-9735
Phone: (202) 224-5824

Here's the letter:

Date:

Honorable David Vitter
516 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

VIA FAX

Dear Senator Vitter,

We, as university students across the nation, are deeply concerned over the state of housing for low and moderate income Americans, and are particularly disturbed over the pending demolition of over 3,000 units of public housing in New Orleans. We are specifically concerned about reports that:

(i) The demolition of public housing units in New Orleans is imminent. Yet, the independent survey to assess the number of displaced residents of New Orleans who wish to return to the city is not complete. Additionally, there are residents currently living in these units and it is unclear, at best, whether they will be able to access adequate replacement housing. This loss of housing represents a severe undermining of the already weak right to housing protections in New Orleans.
(ii) Moreover, the demolitions appear to be likely unnecessary. Housing officials have argued that due to damage from hurricanes Katrina and Rita the units are uninhabitable. Yet, expert testimony has contradicted these statements and attests that the units are structurally sound.
(iii) Finally, the dignity and personal possessions of the former residents are not being respected in this process. In preparation for demolition, contractors have begun emptying apartments and discarding the personal property of residents, including articles of great sentimental and emotional value such as photographs and letters and significant personal identification materials such as social security cards, without their knowledge or consent.

Therefore, we urge you to assist efforts in stopping the proposed demolition of these units, at least until the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007 (S1668) has been voted on in the Senate. Additionally, we urge you to vote YES on the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act, which would allow displaced residents of New Orleans the right to return to the city and specifically ensures this right to previous public housing tenants.

Public housing residents in New Orleans find themselves caught between two unyielding governmental authorities: the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Even prior to the upcoming demolitions, mixed and confusing messages from both entities, along with little to no assistance, has denied tenants of public housing the right to return to and participate in the rebuilding of their communities. Additionally, actions taken by both organizations have made it difficult for survivors to move past the tragedy of the storms and rebuild their lives. Because measures taken by HANO and HUD primarily impact Black and poor residents, they inevitably appear to have an undercurrent of racial and economic discrimination and exclusion.

The public housing crisis is unfolding within a broader human right to housing crisis. For example, the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center has documented widespread discrimination in the city’s rental markets, and nearby White suburban communities have reportedly passed anti-subsidized housing legislation to ensure that Black and poor families do not settle in their neighborhoods. When added to this mix is HUD’s inexplicable shortening of the normally 100-day demolition review process to one day, in order to expedite the destruction of the few existing public housing units, poor people literally have no where to turn. This violent push to demolish the public housing units represents an extreme manifestation of the policies and approaches to rebuilding New Orleans that appear to purge Black and poor communities from New Orleans almost by design.

Under human rights standards, governments must provide those who have been internally displaced by events such as natural disasters specific safeguards with respect to housing. Article 21(1) of the UN’s Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, which USAID recognizes when carrying out international development policy, states: “No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of property and possessions.” Moreover, Article 28 (1) states: “Competent authorities have the primary duty and responsibility to establish conditions, as well as provide the means, which allow internally displaced persons to return voluntarily, in safety and with dignity, to their homes or places of habitual residence …”

Additionally, international human rights instruments speak to the human right to housing. Article 25(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was unanimously adopted by all the member countries of the United Nations, states: “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and of his family, including … housing ...” Article 11(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights states: “The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate … housing … and to the continuous improvement of living conditions.” Additionally, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, a treaty to which the United States became a party in 1994, states: “States Parties undertake to prohibit and to eliminate racial discrimination in all its forms and to guarantee the right of everyone, … to equality before the law, notably in the enjoyment of … the right to housing.” Moreover, the U.S. government passed the Housing Act of 1949, in which the government pledged to realize: “as soon as feasible . . . the goal of a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family, thus contributing to the development and redevelopment of communities and to the advancement of the growth, wealth, and security of the nation.”

Our nation and human rights principles have long recognized the importance of guaranteeing to every citizen the right to housing. Every moment we fail to act brings us closer to a unit demolished, a grandmother evicted, or a child finding him or herself doing homework in a shelter. Again, we urge you to vote YES on S1668.

Sincerely,

Name:

University:

cc. Honorable Mary Landrieu

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination Article 5(e)(iii).
The Housing Act of 1949, 42 U.S.C.A. § 1441.

Save the Date!! Wednesday, November 28, 2007

2007-11-13T12:10:00.000-08:00

Come out and show your solidarity at a presentation by the NYSCKRS:

From False Promises to Resistance: The Truth of Political Resistance to Continued Displacement and Neglect in NYC of Katrina/Rita Survivors and their Supporters

Taking place on Wednesday November 28 from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the JSM Institute for Worker Education/CUNY, 25 W 43rd St. 18th floor (betweem 5th and 6th Aves.)

More information coming soon...

Emergency Demonstration in NYC: Protest the Demolition of New Orleans Public Housing

2007-11-13T12:01:00.000-08:00

Join the New York Solidarity Coalition with Katrina and Rita Survivors and the Concerned Citizens of Greater Harlem for a press conference and rally to STOP THE DEMOLITIONS OF PUBLIC HOUSING IN NEW ORLEANS! Today, Tuesday November 13th from 4:30 to 7pm at 26 Federal Plaza, Manhattan NY. From Jena to Katrina, STOP the racist acts towards survivors. Be there for a national day of protest to expose the Bush administration and HUD.

If you don't already know about it, here's what's going on right now:
The Bush Administration through HUD and it’s criminally planned demolition of about 5000 affordable housing units in New Orleans is a continuation of the corruption, cronyism and the marginalization and forced removal of the unwanted poor from New Orleans, that began with the incompetence and willful negligence demonstrated by FEMA and the Bush administration before and after Hurricane Katrina.

NYSCKRS and Public Housing Coalitions are outraged at the continued corruption through HUD to demolish New Orleans’ four largest housing developments, to replace them with“mixed-income” neighborhoods. This will drastically reduce New Orleans public housing by 82% at the cost of 762 million dollars. Meanwhile HUD’s Secretary, Alphonso Jackson is under investigation by the FBI for awarding New Orleans public housing contracts to business friends.

Ms. Ivy Parker, a New Orleans resident, points out that it’s “only a scheme to push long-time residents out of prime real-estate.” that would greatly drive up rents, so that even the supposedly affordable new units would be out of reach for many of the long-time residents who are fighting to keep the badly-needed housing open….the buildings proposed for destruction are solid brick buildings, needing slight renovations, whereas the replacement buildings may be beautiful, but are made with cheap materials and cheap labor

“There was no damage to those structures so why can’t the people go home and reoccupy those units…Housing is a human right!” says Joetta Chestnut, Gulf Coast Survivor/NYSCKRS

New York city residents outraged that the city has a budget surplus of over a billion dollars with no plans for funding public housing says it could result in the loss of 7000 units stand in solidarity with cities across the nation facing similar plights. Long time Public Housing Activist/Resident Derek Norvell, of Concerned Citizen of Greater Harlem added, “The Gulf Coast had the water of Katrina, low income housing residents in our cities especially New York has had Katrina without the water.”

A Night of Solidarity at Sarah Lawrence College

2007-11-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow night!! If you like blues and food, join the SLC Solidarity Club this Wednesday at 6 PM for a night of celebration and information fundraiser.

Inspired by the National Sleep-Out hosted by the National Gulf Coast Civic Works Project, and in coalition with campuses nation-wide, "Laissez les bons temps rouler!" is a colder-climate alternative to showing support for the survivors of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

The event will be an entertaining, educational, and enlightening evening of jazz and open mic performances (bring your poetry, music or thoughts to share!) which will accompany a New Orleans-style dinner.

We will be joined by Brenda Stokely from the New York Coalition for Katrina/Rita Survivors and Jo Etta Rogers, a hurricane survivor, who will tell
their stories and give us information about how to get involved in all the different ways that are available. This night is meant to create
a greater community of support for the survivors of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, specifically at Sarah Lawrence.

It is a fundraiser, so please come with a generous spirit! Listen to good music, eat good food, and learn about ways that you can show our brothers and sisters that we have not forgotten about them.

It is our responsibility to rebuild and remind Katrina/Rita survivors that they are not alone – we are and will continue to be with them, in solidarity.

The event will take place tomorrow--Wednesday November 14th from 6pm until late into the night. It's in Common Ground in Bates Hall. Sarah Lawrence is located at 1 Mead Way, Bronxville, NY, 10708.