GNOFHAC DIRECTOR COMMENTS ON IBERVILLE REDEVELOPMENT
"With little fanfare or public conversation, the Housing Authority of New Orleans has begun the redevelopment process of the city’s last major pre-Katrina public housing complex — the Iberville development... Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Executive Director James Perry said that he did not know of any public outreach done about the redevelopment. 'I’ve heard nothing outside of (closed) meetings,” he said. “Before HUD and HANO start talking about redeveloping Iberville, they should honor commitments to completing the rebuilding of the Big Four redevelopments they’ve already started.'"
8-27-10 Read the rest of The Lens article here.
ACTION ALERT: TELL HUD SECRETARY DONOVAN TO FIX DISCRIMINATION IN ROAD HOME PROGRAM TODAY!
On August 16, a federal court judge ruled that the Road Home housing program is likely discriminatory. With approximately 150,000 participants, the program is the largest single housing program ever undertaken by the federal government. It was designed to help Louisiana residents recover from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Judge Kennedy enjoined the program from using its discriminatory formula. His ruling will insure that future grant recipients are treated fairly. However, Judge Kennedy believes that the law doesn’t allow him to help families who have already received Road Home grants. We’ve asked a federal appeals court to consider whether or not Kennedy can help the scores of thousands of families who have already received discriminatory grants from the program.
But in the meantime, we need your help. The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, led by Secretary Shaun Donovan, could fix the Road Home program at anytime for both future and past participants. At a minimum Sec. Donovan could direct the State of Louisiana to use any remaining Road Home money to help families affected by the discriminatory formula get back into their homes.
Email Secretary Donovan or call him at 202-708-0417 and tell him to fix the Road Home Program.
8-25-10 Learn more about the Road Home and why it is discriminatory here.
8-16-10 Read the nola.com article "Road Home's grant calculations discriminate against black homeowners, federal judge rules" here.
8-27-10 Read the Washington Post article "Uneven Katrina recovery efforts often offered the most help to the most affluent" here.
8-27-10 Watch the CNBC segment "Rocky Road Home" here
8-31-10 Read the Miller-McCune article "No Port After the Storm" here
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FAIR HOUSING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR URGES CONGRESS TO ADDRESS GOVERNMENT SPONSORED HOUSING DISCRIMINATION IN GULF REGION
On Thursday, July 29, 2010, Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC) Executive Director James Perry testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. Perry reported that in the Gulf Coast region since Katrina, “the most egregious cases of discrimination have been perpetuated by government actors entrusted to serve the very communities that they have discriminated against.”
Perry cited numerous examples of how discriminatory actions and policies on the part of government have “stunted recovery for scores of thousands of Gulf Coast residents,” particularly people of color, people with disabilities, families with children, and low-income residents. For example, “rather than a Road Home, many black homeowners have found a road leading to despair, inequity and discrimination” because of the racially discriminatory Road Home grant calculation formula. Perry also pointed to discriminatory actions and policies on the part of FEMA, St. Bernard Parish, the State of Louisiana, and the Housing Authority of New Orleans in the five years since Katrina.
7-30-10 Read the Gannett article "House Weighs Fair Housing Act Changes" here
7-29-10 Read the entire press release here
7-29-10 Read Perry's testimony here
7-29-10 Listen to audio of Perry's testimony here
7-28-10 Read the press release announcing Perry's testimony here
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TELL CONGRESS TO REAUTHORIZE THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM!
Fourteen days into the 2010 hurricane season, Congress has yet to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which lapsed on May 31, 2010. This means that the NFIP no longer has the authority to issue new policies, increase coverage on existing policies, or issue renewal policies. Affected property owners could include those who need to renew policies that were not renewed prior to the end of the 30-day grace period, homebuyers who must purchase flood insurance as a condition for obtaining mortgages from federally regulated lenders, and property owners refinancing existing mortgages who must purchase or renew coverage.
In a region recently devastated by flooding and facing an active hurricane season made even more threatening by the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, the lapse of the NFIP presents an unacceptable risk to vulnerable property owners. Please contact your member of Congress (insert appropriate link) today and urge them to pass H.R. 4213 immediately, which contains an NFIP authorization through December 31, 2010.
6-14-10 Read the FEMA memo here
6-14-10 Contact your member of Congress here
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ANTI-IMMIGRANT HOUSE BILL 1205 LIKELY VIOLATES THE FEDERAL FAIR HOUSING ACT
The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC) opposes House Bill 1205, “Louisiana Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2010,” because it is likely a violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. The bill will increase racial profiling and discrimination on the basis of national origin in the state of Louisiana. Please call Representative Harrison at 800-935-2081 today to express your opposition to House Bill No. 1205!
4-20-10 Read Puentes’ analysis of some of the provisions of HB 1205 and find out how to get involved with efforts to stop the bill here.
4-20-10 Read the text of House Bill 1205 here.
4-20-10 Learn about similar ordinances in Hazelton, PA that have been struck down in Federal District Court. Watch this video.
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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.
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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