Pelosi and Reid Urge President to Halt Demolition of Public Housing in New
Orleans
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi and
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sent the following letter to President Bush
yesterday requesting an immediate 60-day moratorium on the demolition of
public housing developments in New Orleans.
The text of the letter follows:
December 14, 2007
The Honorable George W. Bush
President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We are writing to request an immediate 60-day moratorium on the demolition
of New Orleans' public housing developments: C.J. Peete, St. Bernard, Lafitte,
and B.W. Cooper. The Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO), currently under
the control of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is
demolishing these homes under executive authority. Although a temporary
restraining order has delayed the demolition of these units to next week or
possibly longer, we believe that additional time is needed in order to resolve
several outstanding issues surrounding the City's affordable housing needs,
including the need for a comprehensive plan for replacement of any demolished
public housing units.
We believe that New Orleans' recovery requires a viable plan for its
affordable housing needs. We are committed to working with you and the
Department to execute such a plan for replacing affordable housing currently
scheduled for demolition. The entire New Orleans metropolitan region is in
dire need of the kind of affordable housing that will allow citizens to return
and grow the workforce. The Department's premature push for complete
demolition impedes this goal. Given the poor condition of New Orleans' rental
housing stock, the rising levels of homelessness in the City, and the sound
construction of some of these developments, these housing resources should not
be demolished without a viable full replacement plan in place.
As you know, the area is still recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
and the Federal levee breaks, which destroyed 67 percent of the housing stock
in Orleans Parish and almost 100 percent in neighboring St. Bernard Parish.
Much of this housing has yet to be rebuilt. The shortage of housing has
pushed rents in the City, and surrounding metropolitan area, well above their
normal levels, with rents rising 45 percent since the storm.
The lack of available and affordable housing is being felt acutely across
the City and region. According to a January 2007 study by UNITY of New
Orleans, since January of 2005, the number of homeless in the City has more
than doubled to almost 12,000 individuals. Many of these homeless residents
are living under Interstate 10 or in Duncan Plaza, next to New Orleans City
Hall. Experts at the Brookings Institution cite a net 9,000 unit decrease in
affordable housing for the City of New Orleans. According to an August study
by the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps, 50 percent of families wanting to
return to the City earn less than $20,000 a year. It is clear that affordable
housing, including public housing, is essential for these families.
Given the City's housing needs and the current availability of these
affordable housing resources, we are extremely disappointed by the
Department's insistence on moving ahead with this demolition despite
insufficient resources to make up the clear loss of affordable housing. For
the Federal government to reduce affordable housing units at a time when the
City is desperate for this very type of housing is a misuse of taxpayer funds
and runs counter to the mission of the Department, not to mention the core
values that we share. Additionally, HANO has not completed a promised survey
of displaced residents and has indicated that this important document now will
not be ready until late January at the earliest. HANO has also not provided
meaningful opportunity for residents to collect their belongings. The
additional sixty days would allow for the resolution of these and other
essential issues, including the completion of a comprehensive plan for HANO
redevelopment of all affordable units, and replacement of any units proposed
for demolition.
As many in the country prepare to spend the holiday season at home with
their families, we urge you to consider these New Orleans families and their
homes. We strongly urge you to halt the demolition of these units.
Sincerely,
Nancy Pelosi Harry Reid
Speaker of the House Senate Majority Leader
SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House
Brendan Daly or Nadeam Elshami, +1-202-226-7616, both for Nancy Pelosi; or Jim
Manley or Rodell Mollineau, +1-202-224-2939, both for Harry Reid
