It is the Only Way to Put Housing First

By Andreanecia M. Morris

In 2007, the New Orleans City Council voted to begin a massive overhaul of New Orleans public housing developments by approving the demolition of four public housing sites.  That contentious vote was unanimous, and it was done in the hope that the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) could do better by the families it serves.  As a city, we resolved to do better by our citizens—this obligates us to a path that where we must seize every opportunity to create safe and decent public housing.

That obligation is why HousingNOLA and our sister organization, the Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance (GNOHA) support HANO’s efforts to redevelop the former Mazant Royal site. This long-awaited effort represents 136 new apartments, creating affordable housing opportunities for people making as little as $13,800.  The average household income levels in Bywater have doubled since the year 2000 ($38,240 to $62,418), completely out of pace with the average income for the rest of Orleans parish.  This neighborhood is also still missing almost 1,500 people who called it home before Hurricane Katrina.   The development team is proposing to build 82 homes and apartments for families at or below the average median income for New Orleans.  This will give families and individuals who have been pushed out of the Bywater the chance to once again live in a neighborhood ripe with job opportunities, reliable transit options and commerce.

Since that fateful vote in 2007, HANO has created 3,347 new housing units at eight sites, a mix of subsidized units (traditional public housing, project based vouchers, low-income housing tax credit units) market rate units and first-time home ownership opportunities.  Over the past 14 years, approximately $1 billion has been spent across New Orleans rebuilding public housing sites.   Much has been accomplished with a mix of financing tools, but now New Orleans is facing an unprecedented affordability crisis.  HANO must be able to honor its commitment to our continued recovery despite a decline in redevelopment resources and the ending of disaster funding.  This financial reality make the HANO Scattered Sites an integral  component in the strategy to meet the affordable housing needs of New Orleans.

The value of New Orleans’ rich history is within its people, not its buildings.  We need developers to rebuild on scattered sites exactly like Mazant Royal so our artists, culture bearers and work force can once again return the places they called home. It is imperative that ITEX and HANO be allowed to proceed so that the New Orleanians, who were first displaced by Hurricane Katrina and then by a real estate boom that is wholly unsupported, can return to it.  Neighborhoods like the Bywater need stabilization that can only occur when the “missing middle” is given the chance to return and once again have the opportunity to live and thrive.  If the New Orleans City Council yields to NIMBY rhetoric and denies this proposal, it will make future scattered site developments on HANO owned property vulnerable to that kind of resistance as well.  This has the unintended consequences of further jeopardizing our ability to produce affordable units required to meet the rapidly growing need in our city.  In short, the City Council will be reneging on the promise it made when it pledged to redevelop public housing for the people of New Orleans.  We must Put Housing First and approves the redevelopment of Mazant Royal.

3 thoughts on “Rebuild Mazant Royale”
  1. PEOPLE UNDER 50 just do not get it, or cannot get it, or they got something that is not reality, not logical, and defective reasoning.
    Such results produces the addiction to the government manipulating real marketing competition, that ends up as processes of financial slavery for all people.
    There is no such thing as “affordable Housing”, and whoever speaks it is a charlatan seeking to beguile many people.
    When the government and its employees says affordable housing, the truth is, the government must take money from other citizens (tax theft) and then will use it to finance loans and rents for people to afford to stay in a home.
    * Affordable housing IS NOT a contractor house builder lowering his selling price of a house or a Real Estate Business so that people can “afford” to buy it.
    Contractors get the full price, subsidize with the use and theft of unrepresented citizens taxes and then given to the contractor thru some form of agreements and then to a citizen to move into to.
    * “AFFORDABLE HOUSING”, it is a message of guile and deception, It should be factually said that it is “Gov Subsidized Taxes” from your neighbors.

    * ANY time the Government subsidizes and or pays for things, then the prices of everything goes up and up and the Business knows that since the government will subsidize a Sale, then they keep raising prices.

    * Subsidies artificially cause fake values to rise and thus make it harder and harder for people not poor to buy a house because of fake values caused by the government subsidies that destroys “housing competition” which is then real
    free market enterprise.

    ANY subsidies is harmful to poor and not poor, It makes them all slaves to those who Impair real capitalism ! ALL LOSE! Whether it be, housing, food, or health.

    THE education of how this works and the curriculum all was stopped in schools and replaced with Envy, Greed, Covetousness, and Justified Theft !

    It is all a Immoral and Evil Practice brought on by both Political Parties abusing and Exploiting our economy for 50+ years!
    ( They are working against us )
    2019, may 23
    ——————–

  2. A “Poor” city vs “Poor” leadership?

    LBRC- City and State Pensions? The quality of Public Employees and Politicos? What the ENTERGY Juggernaut in NOLA said vs People’s Interest?

    1. Back in circa 2009, heard Larry Summers say- “We can’t break “Private Contractual”  (Efficacy or not) obligations, we simply need to “Lower” Public Pensions Requirements! Tylically, when pension obligations are “lowered”, there is a reciprocal drop in the “Quality” of Public Servants! WTTF (Who Tricked The Fools aka Citizen Dupes and where did all ‘Dat investment money go? Wall Street Derivatives? Not Indexed Funds?). After ‘Dat comment, Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz said- “You don’t see a contridiction there?

    2. UT at Austin, Economics and Political Sciemce Departments completed a study saying- “If State Pension Funds” would simply “Index”? They’d be a lot closer to solvency, whereas in 2019, most are close to “Insolvency”!

    3. Back in NOLA aka New Orleans, La., an ENTERGY NOLA energy Monopoly debate is still raging in Quarters, no pun intended French Quarter? 

    a. NOLA and Louisiana are already at “Rock Bottom” Educationally! UT Studies reveal ‘Dat when Pensions are typically cut 1/2 or more (Which is 1 option pending the next Financial Crisis)- Public Servant Competence will decrease Dramitically! Really NOLA- Your “Public Service” dollars have dissipitated like Magicians’ Smoke! Public Servants have “Self Voted Themselves” aka increased “Compensation Packages” 100% fold and you have “Flooding Issues” related to which- Incompetence and unaccountability or Lack of Funding?  Jeopardy music please…

    b. What is the added value of “Consultants”? Wouldn’t this be a ligitimate question for Competent Public Service “Thinkers and Intellects”? What is the added value of out of town ENTERGY Consultants as opposed to cultivated “Local” University Scholars and “Experts”? Another UT Austin Political Science and Economics Dept. Study says? State and Local Elected Officials (Most Backed by Cryptic, “Esoteric” nterest) are hardly “Truth Aides”? Low info dupes called voters and non voters are “Echo Chambers”! Never look to be enlightened here! Go to campaign fund raising sites for a few answers and if so- called Public Servants own or operate businesses to include but not limited to 501’s? Uh oh!!! If you say it’s all about Democrats vs Republicans? You’re a dupe of “The Highest Order”! Men and women of letters can be Educated and De Facto Uneducated Fools! 

    4. Hey NOLA, you’re already a *#^* Pool of “Organized Educational Dysfunction and Corrupted Politics” (Your kids stand on corners at 4AM for transporation quadrupled in cost to transport young people to “F” and “D” Rated Schools? Who voted in your Board Members? Who fund these Jack A*^#* aka Political Support? “Your” Children, remember? Where do Board member children attend schools? Enough already…! All the Poor Negroes, so- called Coons, echo chambers and dupes in a majority/minority city like NOLA? Here’s a progression> Swim, Wade, Float, No Gills> Drown or already…? Zombies? ‘Sum ’em is wrong “WIC” ‘dis ‘Pitcha! NOLA, your new out of town highly paid S&WB Executive says- You’re already “Under Water” financially and “Physically”? Duh? You paid the former Executive in excess of 14K to “Re-Decorate” his office? Soon, we’ll be talking real money! There has to be a correlation between low educational rankings and what citizens will tolerate! We justn’sayin…

    btw- For highlights of UT Studies, go here>>>

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hKbExWgV4Uk

    Peace Out…

  3. LBRC- Remember “Pump to The River”? What can happen possibly happen when and if there is a Mississippi River breach? Possibles?…
    LBRC- In the event of a Mississippi River Levee Break in NOLA, Politicos will say, “we never thought this would happen”. Clues abound! Clues?

    1. Harahan and parts of Jefferson Parish “Pump to The River”! Meaning?

    a. Poor over encompassing planning. There should be an optional diversion mechanism which allows diversion back to the “Lake” and vice versa, when conditions threaten surrounding Metro Areas! Pumping to the Lake increases pressures!

    b. Kuring Katrina, racist and other interest took control of NOLA Proper infrastructures ‘Gansta. The then mayor, council, legislative persons et al, offered little to no resistance, the 1 Exception- Derrick Sheppard. Hmmm…

    2. Openening the Spill Way(s) is a necessary move, it’s what you do. The River carries a “Load”, which raises water levels when there is no Dregging (Not an Endorsement). Prior, idiots dumped this sand over The Continental Shelf. Then the Army Corp posed (Fooled you) as Genius. Katrina taught what?

    3. Compounding issues?

    a. Now it’s the NOLA Council’s turn for ‘Stuntin! Absolutely No Clue, with or without Highly Paid Consultants! “Local” University “Experts” knew ‘betta! They fought the “Out of Towners”, but the “Money and Campaign Contributions” won! What’s different in 2019? What can they say in an event where The French Quarter has 15- 25ft of H2O? 

    b. Good news for NOE? Your long awaited wait for NOPD, State Police resources et al, is over! Chief said he’s “Waiting” for additional resources aka “Equitable”! Well?

    Once saw a play, “A comedy of errors”. Saw it in NOLA! “Nothing teaches like reality”, just wait! 

    Peace Out…

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