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<font size=3><br><br>
<a href="http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=108689712&u=1036133">
<img src="cid:6.2.5.6.2.20061124144741.04676be0@freedomarchives.org.0" width=600 height=115 alt="People's Hurricane Relief Fund and Oversight Coalition">
<br><br>
</font><h2><b>Take Action Today!</b></h2>
<ul>
<li><font size=3><b>
<a href="http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=108689712&u=1036134">
Click here</a></b> to Sign the People's Hurricane Relief Fund petitions
to protect renters against price gouging and to make the Louisiana
Recovery Authority (LRA) accountable to people without homes, not
developers. Spread the Word!
<li><b>
<a href="http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=108689712&u=1036135">
Click here</a></b> to help fight the evictions of over 100 families at
the Common Ground-managed Woodlands apartment complex.
</ul><br>
</font><h2><b>Petition Campaign </b></h2><font size=3>Nearly a quarter of
a million New Orleanians remain Internally Displaced Peoplewith no homes
in New Orleans to return to. "The Road Home"the federally
funded recovery program-- offers the majority of New Orleaniansrenters--
no compensation at all. Yet, 90% of the rentals in Gentilly, 84% of
rentals in the Lower 9th Ward, 76% in Village de l'Est and 61% in Mid
Cityall predominantly low income Black neighborhoods, were destroyed.
Courageous renters who are trying to rebuild their lives in New Orleans
spend months searching for a place to rent, and when they find it, the
landlord invariably charges at least double for property that is barely
habitable.<br><br>
To advance the campaign to win affordable housing, rent control and
tenants rights in New Orleans, the People's Hurricane Relief Fund is
launching two urgent petition drives. Each petition is part of a strategy
to challenge government representatives to support the peoples' right to
return home.<br><br>
<b>The first petition</b> demands that the New Orleans City Council pass
legislation to curb price gouging and provide basic protections for
renters.
<a href="http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=108689712&u=1036136">
Download it here.</a><br><br>
<b>The second petition</b>, the Louisiana Recovery Authority
Reconstitution petition, will be delivered to Governor Kathleen Blanco
and the Louisiana State Legislature demanding that that the LRA be
disbanded and that a new, representative body reflective of the race and
class composition of the affected areas be created to take its place. As
it is currently constituted, the LRA is accountable only to developers
when making decisions about what to do with federal recovery money.
<a href="http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=108689712&u=1036137">
Download it here.</a><br><br>
The goal of the petition drive is to get 10,000 signatures for each
petition by January 31, 2007. Once we attain this goal, we will deliver
the petitions to the City Council and State Legislature to press our
demands and the legislation we need to help realize the right of return.
We need you to take the petition to your place of worship, work, union
hall, school, social club and spread the word amongst your family and
friends.<br><br>
Please mail the original of each completed petition to PHRF, 1418 North
Claiborne #2, New Orleans, LA 70118 or fax a copy to (504)
301-0306.<br><br>
<b>
<a href="http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=108689712&u=1036138">
Click here</a></b> to sign the petition to Governor Kathleen Blanco and
the Louisiana Recovery Authority.<br><br>
For more information please contact (504) 301-0215 or phrfoc@gmail.com.
Also visit
<a href="http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=108689712&u=1036139">
www.peopleshurricane.org</a><br><br>
<br><br>
</font><h2><b>Urgent Action to Protect Woodlands Residents
</b></h2><font size=3>From Common Ground:<br><br>
SPREAD THIS NEWS AS QUICKLY AND WIDELY AS POSSIBLE!<br>
LETTER AND PHONE CAMPAIGN INFO<br><br>
The time has come when your action could mean the difference between
justice and injustice, home for the holidays or homeless in the cold. In
the next few days over 100 families are facing eviction from their
affordable apartments at the Woodlands. Right now your support, and your
action, could provide the impetus they need to win their fight.<br><br>
<b>
<a href="http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=108689712&u=1036140">
Click here</a></b> to help fight the evictions of over 100 families at
the Common Ground-managed Woodlands apartment complex. <br><br>
As you may know, Common Ground has been managing the Woodlands apartment
complex for the past five months, with the intent to purchase the
property to create cooperative housing, small business cooperatives,
social programs and human services offices, all while keeping the lowest
rents in the city. During this time CG rehabilitated over 100 units, and
formalized rental relationships with signed leases. Through a series of
bad faith dealings the former owner, Anthony Reginelli, sold the property
to the Johnson Property Group, LLC. Now both are working together to
evict the tenants just in time for the holidays.<br><br>
The tenants are organized and ready to fight. They are planning a host of
strategies, from press conferences to direct actions, from formal
mediation to court cases. But they need your voice. They need your faxes,
calls emails in support, calling for the new owners to do the right thing
and work with the tenants to find a mutually beneficial
solution.<br><br>
The next pages contain sample letters detailing the tenants needs and
demands, and following those is a contact list. There are two versions of
the letter, one for the Johnson Property Group, LLC itself, and another
for their business associates. Feel free to use the sample letter, or
create your own based on it. If you have business or organization
letterhead, that may add extra weight. The crucial aspect is that the
residents need your assistance RIGHT NOW.<br><br>
This can be an extremely effective public pressure campaign, because the
new owners have a very good name in human services in Baton Rouge and
throughout Louisiana. The Managing Manager for the Group is Soundra
Temple-Johnson, who, along with Collis Temple, Jr. and family, own and
operate Louisiana Health and Rehabilitation Options as well as the
Harmony Center, Inc., both of which offer extensive social services for
those in need. They have a conscience, at least a public one, which can
be effectively prodded by your letters, and by the opinions of their
business associates.<br><br>
Please take a little time out of your Thanksgiving preparations to send
or hand deliver these letters to as many of the contacts as possible.
Because of the holiday we must act right now to be effective. If you live
near one of these locations, hand-deliver the letter. If you are able,
mount a small (or large!) demonstration at their address, as the tenants
will be doing in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.<br><br>
You will hear more from us, as we hold press conferences and
demonstrations, and we will keep you updatedwith our progress. We'd also
love to hear from you about your involvement at:
nolaevictiondefense@gmail.com You could cc: us when you email out the
letter, and send us a note about faxes, hand-deliveries and
demonstrations – or any other great ideas you put into action!<br><br>
Please act now, before Thanksgiving, so the one hundred families and
children of the Woodlands can have something to be thankful for this
holiday season.<br><br>
<b>
<a href="http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=108689712&u=1036141">
Click here</a></b> to help fight the evictions of over 100 families at
the Common Ground-managed Woodlands apartment complex. <br><br>
<br>
<a href="http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=108689712&u=1036142">
<img src="cid:6.2.5.6.2.20061124144741.04676be0@freedomarchives.org.1" width=200 height=45 alt="Make a Donation">
</a> <br><br>
</font><h2><b>Take Action
</b></h2><font size=3><b>
<a href="http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=108689712&u=1036143">
Click here</a></b> to sign the petition to Governor Kathleen Blanco and
the Louisiana Recovery Authority.<br><br>
</font><h2><b>URGENT</b></h2><font size=3><b>
<a href="http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=108689712&u=1036144">
Click here</a></b> to help fight the evictions of over 100 families at
the Common Ground-managed Woodlands apartment complex. <br><br>
</font><h2><b>Stay Informed </b></h2><font size=3>To receive periodic
action alerts and updates from PHRF,
<a href="http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=108689712&u=1036145">
click here</a> <br><br>
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People's Hurricane Relief Fund & Oversight Coalition <br>
1418 N. Claiborne, New Orleans, LA 70116 1-(504)-301-0215 <br><br>
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