New Orleans Has a New Model for Housing the Poor

 

Your Black World reports.

The city of New Orleans is moving away from the model of putting all subsidized housing into one place.  The city is, instead, mixing subsidized with unsubsidized homes, opening over 900 housing units already.  Another 3,100 are under development.

“I never thought I’d be able to live like this," says Larry Berzat, a 60-year old man who once lived in the notorious Magnolia Housing Projects. "It’s a whole lot safer. And a whole lot better."

Other cities have followed similar trends.  New Orleans is different because rather than taking a phased approach, the city actually tore down all of its public housing at once in a major and quick overhaul.

The benefit is that the new developments are in far better condition than previous ones.  But some warn that this swift move could make it difficult for residents to find affordable housing.  There are going to be  3,500 fewer units, according to James Perry, head of the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center.

"You’re going to have a large number of people without housing," Perry says.