Public Housing Controversy in Post-Katrina New Orleans

[MrFun]

Below is link to the news story:

Public Housing Controversy


Anyone have any thoughts to what extent this decision is based on racism and/or class discrimination against the poor?

[Harry Tuttle]

"City council crossed racial lines..."

"Mayor Ray Nagin on Thursday brokered compromises..."

"Most of the units HUD plans to demolish are vacant, and many suffered heavy damage in Hurricane Katrina..."

IMHO the city should be demolished and rebuilt. Providing dilapidated, flood damaged housing won't help anyone in the long run.

[SlowwHand]

I think it's a matter of starting over; and starting over in a way that may, or may not, be overly zealous.
New Orleans had problems. I imagine one would have to be there, and it would depend on where you're standing.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
I think it's a matter of starting over; and starting over in a way that may, or may not, be overly zealous.
New Orleans had problems. I imagine one would have to be there, and it would depend on where you're standing.

Whether one is standing on land, or water?

[SlowwHand]

Public housing is always a hot issue. All know it's needed, but not here.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Harry Tuttle
"City council crossed racial lines..."

"Mayor Ray Nagin on Thursday brokered compromises..."

"Most of the units HUD plans to demolish are vacant, and many suffered heavy damage in Hurricane Katrina..."

IMHO the city should be demolished and rebuilt. Providing dilapidated, flood damaged housing won't help anyone in the long run.

Yeah, I caught the mentioning of blacks who in this instance voted with the others on this decision. Maybe those black voters were blinded to any possibility that this decision may have disproportionate and negative impact on black residents compared to white residents?

[Dinner]

It's to bad they didn't take this opportunity to fill most of the flood damaged city with soil to bring up the level so that it is above sea level. Much of the historic district like the French Quarter are already on high ground so it would have been the more generic part which got razed. It would have required a lot of Federal money to pay for it but it would have been cheaper then rescuing a flood damaged city every 20-30 years. Over all that would have solved the city's problems for at least the next century or so.

[Victor Galis]

Honestly, they really should just demolish the most flood-prone areas and not rebuild.

[Dinner]

Demolish, raise ground level until it is above sea level, then rebuild.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Oerdin
It's to bad they didn't take this opportunity to fill most of the flood damaged city with soil to bring up the level so that it is above sea level. Much of the historic district like the French Quarter are already on high ground so it would have been the more generic part which got razed. It would have required a lot of Federal money to pay for it but it would have been cheaper then rescuing a flood damaged city every 20-30 years. Over all that would have solved the city's problems for at least the next century or so.

For something drastic as you propose, you have to fully weigh out any possible negative consequences.

[Whoha]

Originally posted by Victor Galis
Honestly, they really should just demolish the most flood-prone areas and not rebuild.

thats pretty much the plan.

[Harry Tuttle]

Originally posted by MrFun
Yeah, I caught the mentioning of blacks who in this instance voted with the others on this decision. Maybe those black voters were blinded to any possibility that this decision may have disproportionate and negative impact on black residents compared to white residents?

Or maybe they voted on it because they wanted to? Where's the motive there Mister?

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Harry Tuttle


Or maybe they voted on it because they wanted to? Where's the motive there Mister?

But I would like to know why they wanted to vote that way, then.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Demolish, raise ground level until it is above sea level, then rebuild.

I'm not sure putting landfill on sinking soil will help in the long run. I do think there's a desire to keep many old NOLAers from returning, for many reasons, economic and political.

[Riesstiu IV]

Just build a wall around the city and turn it into a prison.