Families, Elected Officials and Advocates Call on State to Support Lower 9th Ward Rental Housing – 8 years after Katrina, more than $100 billion allocated, but not one dollar spent to rebuild affordable rental housing in Lower 9th Ward

Date: September 19, 2013

Time: 1:30 PM

Location: Vacant lot behind 409 Andry St., New Orleans, LA (rain location: model home, 409 Andry Street)

Contacts: James Perry (504-208-5040, jperry@gnofairhousing.org) or Michelle Pyne (484-832-1176, mpyne@globalgreen.org)

Speakers:

Councilmember Stacy Head (confirmed)

Councilmember James Gray (invited)

Senator JP Morrell (available for post event interviews)

Linda Stone, Global Green New Orleans Director (confirmed)

James Perry, Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center Executive Director (confirmed)

Mack McClendon, Lower Ninth Ward Village (confirmed)

Kim Ford, Vice President, Holy Cross Neighborhood Association (confirmed)

Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (confirmed)

Message: In the more than eight years since Hurricane Katrina, not one affordable rental housing development has been built in the Lower 9th Ward. On Wednesday, September 11, 2013, the Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC), formerly the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, yanked approval from the only project proposed for the Lower 9th Ward. Families, elected officials and advocates are fighting back!

Councilmember Stacy Head stated, “After reviewing the project, I think it is a much need addition to the Lower 9th Ward.”

Linda Stone, the Global Green New Orleans Director, agreed, “This is an historic opportunity to provide green housing with reduced utility costs and low impact on the environment, all while providing affordable rental housing. Global Green is here for the long haul. We remain committed to this project.”

James Perry, Executive Director of the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, argued, “American taxpayers, pained by images of destroyed homes, families stranded on rooftops, and residents traversing flood waters, supported the use of billions of taxpayer dollars to rebuild Katrina-affected communities like the Lower 9th Ward. However, to date, not one dollar has gone to support the construction of affordable rental housing in the Lower 9th Ward. The LHC must support this development. Anything else is a betrayal of the American taxpayer.”

Numerous elected officials have expressed their support for the project:

Mayor Mitch Landrieu wrote, “This innovative development leverages significant private resources and will assist in our efforts to bring well-planned and innovatively designed affordable housing to an area of the City that was devastated by flooding after the levee failure post-Hurricane Katrina.”

Senator David Vitter wrote, “As I am sure you can imagine, the apartment building that Global Green proposes to build as a part of its Holy Cross Project would provide a wonderful home for residents wishing to live in the Lower 9th Ward.”

Senator J.P. Morrell wrote, “I urge you to support this endeavor.”

Councilmember James Gray wrote, “I enthusiastically support the proposed 18-unit multi-family development in the Lower 9th Ward, sponsored by Global Green USA.”

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Global Green USA is a national non-profit organization. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the inadequate response of the U.S. Government, Global Green USA made a dedicated commitment to sustainable building in New Orleans.

The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC) is a private nonprofit organization. GNOFHAC is dedicated to eliminating housing discrimination and furthering equal housing opportunities through education, outreach, advocacy, and enforcement of fair housing laws across the metro New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas. The activities described in this release were privately funded. 

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