GNOFHAC & KIRWAN INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF RACE AND ETHNICITY PRODUCE 2009 HCVP OPPORTUNITY MAPS
The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC) and mapping specialists at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State University have created a series of maps that overlay Housing Authority of New Orleans’ (HANO) data showing the locations of Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) properties, on opportunity maps of Orleans Parish. The goal is to evaluate whether the HCVP program is achieving its goals of providing increased housing choice to low-income families, and economically integrating neighborhoods. Maps show that properties voluntarily listed by landlords on HANO’s HCVP property list are concentrated in low and very low opportunity areas of the city, and were presented at GNOFHAC's December 11th event "Mapping Inequity - Visioning Change."
12-26-09 Read the nola.com article "Vouchers Steer Poor to Troubled Areas" here
12-26-09 Download the maps and access additional information at www.gnofairhousing.org/opportunity
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FAIR HOUSING CENTER URGES JEFFERSON PARISH HOUSING AUTHORITY TO REOPEN SECTION 8 WAITING LIST
The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC) denounces the process by which the Jefferson Parish Housing Authority (JPHA) recently opened its Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP, or “Section 8”) waiting list. A notice posted on the JPHA website on November 23rd, 2009 invites Jefferson Parish residents to fill out a “pre-application” form online, or request the form by mail between November 23rd and November 30th, 2009. The online form was removed at the close of business on November 30th, and JPHA’s notice stated that mailed requests received after November 30th or hand-delivered “will not be processed.” GNOFHAC is disappointed that JPHA chose to open its waiting list for the first time in years over the Thanksgiving holiday, a week when Jefferson Parish residents have limited access to social service and advocacy agencies, as well as post offices and public facilities that offer internet access. Furthermore, GNOFHAC is concerned that JPHA advertised the opportunity to apply for its HCVP waiting list exclusively via its website, and the legal notices section of the Times-Picayune.
NEW! 12-11-09 Read the New York Times editorial "What New Orleans Needs" here
NEW! 12-14-09 Read the City Business article "Section 8 Snub" here
12-1-09 Read the press release here
12-2-09 Read the City Business article here
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FAIR HOUSING CENTER URGES LRA BOARD TO RECOGNIZE AND ACT ON CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN NEW ORLEANS
The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC) was recently made aware that the LRA Board will consider a proposal at their next meeting on House Speaker Jim Tucker’s resolutions to move up to $1 billion dollars of Community Development Block Grant funds away from programs that create much-needed affordable housing. GNOFHAC strongly urges the LRA Board to remain focused on addressing the urgent demand for affordable housing in New Orleans, and to ensure that the dedicated funds remain committed to creating housing. Repurposing the funds would significantly risk violating the state’s statutory duty to affirmatively further fair housing.
11-18-09 Read the press release here
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FHAC SUBMITS COMMENTS TO STATE RE: ASSISTANCE TO ROAD HOME APPLICANTS WITH CONTAMINATED DRYWALL
GNOFHAC submitted comments to the state regarding its proposed action plan for Road Home applicants with contaminated Chinese drywall. The state responded that GNOFHAC "made a number of helpful recommendations that the state will take under consideration."
11-13-09 Read GNOFHAC's recommendations here
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FAIR HOUSING CENTER KEEPS PRESSURE ON ST. BERNARD PARISH
While the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC) is pleased with the St. Bernard Parish Council’s vote to overturn an ordinance that would put a multi-family ban on the ballot for a public vote, it will continue to closely monitor the parish for any actions that violate the Fair Housing Act. GNOFHAC is especially troubled by comments made by parish officials and quoted in the Times-Picayune that seem to disregard the authority of federal courts and civil rights laws. Kate Scott, Interim Co-Director of GNOFHAC, comments, "We hope this move on the part of Parish officials to rescind the vote to ban multi-family housing signals a newfound commitment to open housing in St. Bernard Parish. We stand firm in our commitment to our mission of furthering equal housing opportunity throughout the region.
11-19-09 NEW! Listen to the NPR story "Revived La. Parish Faces Fight Over Race" here
11-4-09 Download the press release here
11-4-09 Read the nola.com article "St. Bernard Parish Council backs off on vote on apartments" here
10-21-09 Read the nola.com article "St. Bernard Parish Council might remove apartment ban from November ballot" here
10-21-09 Read St. Bernard Parish's notice to the court indicating that the Council introduced an ordinance that would rescind the multi-family housing ban here
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FAIR HOUSING CENTER FILES FOURTH MOTION FOR CONTEMPT AGAINST ST. BERNARD PARISH
On October 13, 2009, the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC) filed a fourth Motion for Contempt alleging St. Bernard Parish has violated the federal Fair Housing Act and a Consent Order. On September 15, 2009, Parish officials passed an ordinance to hold a public vote on a moratorium on multi-family housing. The special election is set for November 14, 2009.
10-14-09 Download the press release here
10-14-09 Read the nola.com article "Fair housing group says St. Bernard Parish broke housing laws again" here
10-15-09 Read the nola.com article "St. Bernard apartments battle renewed again" here
Read a comprehensive timeline of the St. Bernard lawsuit here
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FAIR HOUSING CENTER PLEASED THAT BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED; HOPEFUL THAT ST BERNARD PARISH OFFICIALS WON'T BLOCK FURTHER ATTEMPTS AT OPEN HOUSING
On October 1, 2009, St. Bernard Parish finally approved the building permits Provident Realty Advisors needed to start construction on four mixed income housing developments long delayed by the illegal and discriminatory actions of St. Bernard Parish officials. Parish Council members approved issuing the permits during a special meeting.
10-6-09 Download the press release here
NEW! 10-4-09 Read the New York Times article "Housing Battle Reveals Post-Katrina Tensions" here
10-1-09 Read the nola.com article "St. Bernard Parish issues permits for mixed-income apartments" here
10-1-09 Read the Multifamily Executive.com article "New Orleans' St. Bernard Parish Project Nears Approval" here
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FAIR HOUSING CENTER PARTIALLY GRANTED THIRD MOTION FOR CONTEMPT AGAINST ST BERNARD PARISH
On September 11, 2009, the Honorable Judge Helen G. Berrigan generally granted the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center’s (GNOFHAC) and Provident Realty Advisors’ third motion for contempt against St. Bernard Parish. Judge Berrigan enjoins the Parish from “interfering or withholding approval of Provident’s re-subdivision applications,” deems Provident’s re-subdivision applications approved, sets forth several deadlines for Parish officials to meet in regards to the re-subdivision and building permit approval process, and establishes a daily sanction beginning at $5,000 the first day and increasing to $10,000 each day thereafter should the Parish “fail to meet any of the various deadlines without advance notice and good cause shown for their failure.” Further, Judge Berrigan awards damages and refers the issue of the amounts of damages, reasonable attorneys’ fess and costs to Magistrate Judge Shushan.
In her ruling, Judge Berrigan writes “this court has repeatedly found the stated justifications given by these officials to be unsound, contrived, pretextual, and racially discriminatory. In addition to depriving the parish of badly needed affordable housing across race lines, the continued opposition has also cost the taxpayers of St. Bernard Parish tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees and threatens to cost them significantly more in the near future.”
9-5-09 Read the Nola.com article "St. Bernard Parish Council housing plan drawing fire" here
9-9-09 Read the Nola.com article "St. Bernard Parish in court again today over fair housing violations" here
9-9-09 Read the Nola.com article "Testimony wraps up in St. Bernard Parish fair housing case; ruling expected this week" here
9-11-09 Read the press release here
9-11-09 Read the Judge's Order and Reasons here
9-11-09 Read the Nola.com article "Federal judge holds St. Bernard officials in contempt of court..." here
9-12-09 and 9-13-09 Read Jarvis DeBerry's editorials here and here
9-15-09 Read the Nola.com article "St. Bernard Parish may vote on apartment ban" here
9-15-09 Read the WWL article "St. Bernard gives voters choice of bringing large apartment complexes to parish" here
9-16-09 Read the Fox8 article "Mixed income apartment issue on November ballot" here
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FAIR HOUSING CENTER VOICES GRAVE CONCERNS ABOUT HANO'S SECTION 8 VOUCHER WAIT LIST
The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC) has grave concerns about the process by which the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) is opening its Housing Choice Voucher (“Section 8”) wait list. The wait list is available for application from September 6 to 12, 2009. This is the first time the application process has been opened in six years. HANO is using its website, the Times Picayune and the Louisiana Weekly as its sole means for marketing the opening of the wait list. Because many low-income residents don’t subscribe to the Times Picayune and don’t have internet access, GNOFHAC is urging HANO to conduct TV and radio advertising to give the public adequate notice that the wait list will be open. Additionally HANO should keep the wait list open for a minimum of 30 days rather than a mere six days. Finally, HANO should accept voucher applications that it received as early as August 23rd, because its public notice regarding the waitlist opening has been confusing and misleading.
9-2-09 Download the press release here
9-2-09 HANO revises Section 8 wait list process. Read the Times Picayune article here.
9-4-09 Read the nola.com editorial "HANO comes to its senses" here
9-5-09 Read Jarvis DeBerry's editorial "Housing Authority of New Orleans office is a shelter for bad guys" here
9-7-09 Read the Nola.com article "HANO scandal persists under feds," which outlines the history of HANO's mismanagement, here
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