[News] New Orleans Whats at Stake - Statement from the Coalition to Stop Demolition + Updates
Anti-Imperialist News
news at freedomarchives.org
Fri Nov 30 11:09:28 EST 2007
From: "K W" <kaliakuno at gmail.com>
Dear comrades,
In the past two years, New Orleans has faced a
series of social crises that have struck a blow
to our collective vision for a more just and
equitable city, not simply one that is more
inviting to elites. Yet none of these crises has
been so uniquely urgent as this. What is at stake
with the demolition of public housing in New
Orleans is more than just the loss of housing
units: it destroys any possibility for affordable
housing in New Orleans for the foreseeable
future. Without access to affordable housing,
thousands of working class New Orleanians will be
denied their human right to return.
Although this situation is unique and urgent in
the city of New Orleans, it does not occur in
isolation. The plans for redevelopment here are
part of a national assault on public housing, in
which tens of thousands of homes have been demolished in the past decade.
Though we face this ongoing crisis together
across this country, in New Orleans the prospect
of demolition is a critical moment for the
reconstruction movement itself. It is a test of
the strength and will of our movement: a loss at
this juncture would be a blow to the ability of
the movement to grow and sustain itself to fight on other fronts.
In coming to New Orleans, you are helping us to
draw this line in the sand. You are taking part
in a critical piece of the ongoing fight against
neo-liberal incursions into our cities. Here in
New Orleans, as the bulldozers arrive to destroy
any hope for the right of return for thousands of
families, you can help us push back this agenda,
and stand fast with us to promote a more
people-focused reconstruction: one that is based
on a vision of justice and rights for all people,
and not profits for corporations and the desires of those with power.
We stand for a reconstruction that values and
preserves services and infrastructure for poor
people who have always lived, worked, and
struggled to survive in New Orleans, and who
possess the right to return to the homes from
which they fled or were forcibly removed more than two years ago.
Thank you for making the pledge to stand with us
at this time. May the love of justice, not power, guide our actions.
In Unity and Struggle,
The Coalition to Stop Demolition
------------ --------- --------- --------- -------
Please spread the word to news organizations:
Press Conference
Calling on City Council to Oppose Demolition of
Public Housing and Supporting Right to Return
Contact: Pam Nath - 419.358.4464 or Kali Akuno 510.593.3956
Where: Outside City Hall - Steps of City Hall
When: 9:30am, Friday, 11-30-07
Who: Residents from Public Housing and Allies
Request for City Council to Oppose Public Housing
Demolition & Support Right to Return
Organizations supporting:
Churches Supporting Churches
Advocates for Environmental Human Rights
Peoples Institute for Survival and Beyond
Common Ground
Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund
Mennonite Central Committee
Louisiana Justice Institute
C3
and several others!
------------ --------- --------- --------- ------
Demolition Update 11-29-07
Louisiana Housing Finance Agency has reserved $35
million in tax credits for HANO to "rehabilitate"
six public housing buildings – making up 1949
units. This is an extension of the tax credit
arrangement between HANO and the LHFA on St.
Bernard I, BW Cooper, Lafitte, CJPeete I/III and
Fisher. The extension is subject to the
following conditions: including: 1) HANO provides
written confirmation to LHFA no later than Dec.
18 that demolition has begun on the six properties
.
Source: Daily Journal of Commerce, November 27, 2007 .
http://www.djcgulfc oast.com /pdf/nov27.pdf
HUD November 16, 2007 Letter to Senator Landrieu – Attachment 7
Demolition of St. Bernard December 15, 2007
BW Cooper I December 15, 2007
Lafitte – December 17, 2007
CJ Peete III – December 15, 2007
Fisher – December 15, 2007
HANO Board Meeting – November 29, 2007
Approval of demolition services
contract with Keith B. Key Enterprises up to
$6,000,000 to be paid from HANO capital funds to
provide for demolition and removal of all
remaining buildings on the BW Cooper Site in
advance of final negotiation of terms and
execution of a Master Development Agreement in
order to permit timely progress of redevelopment activities.
Approval of demolition services
contract with St. Bernard Redevelopment in amount
not to exceed $9,008,670 to be paid from HANO
capital funds for demolition and removal of all
remaining buildings on St. Bernard site
in
advance of final negotiation of terms and
execution of a Master Development Agreement in
order to permit timely progress of redevelopment activities.
Approval of demolition services
contract with Central City Partners in amount not
to exceed $5,830,000 to be paid from HANO capital
funds for demolition and removal of all remaining
buildings on CJ Peete site
in advance of final
negotiation of terms and execution of a Master
Development Agreement in order to permit timely
progress of redevelopment activities.
Award $2,526,116.10 to D.H.Griffon of
Texas, Inc, to provide for the demolition of 70
buildings and associated infrastructure at the Lafitte Development.
Approval of loan of funds from HANO
not to exceed $645,000 to St. Bernard I, LLC to
pay for certain predevelopment expenses to facilitate the Project
Ratifying the execution of the
Predevelopment Loan Agreement and related
documents by the Executive Director for purposes
of loaning funds in the total amount not to
exceed $955,000 to Keith B. Key Enterprises to
pay for certain predevelopment expenses.
------------ --------- --------- --------- ---------
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.
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863-9977
www.Freedomarchives.org
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