NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The City of New Orleans has set a deadline for removing a second large homeless encampment.
The first is at the Tchoupitoulas exit under the Pontchartrain Expressway.
Tension was high at the city council meeting as Tremé residents pressed for a clear date. Representatives from the mayor’s office say they’re confident they’re moving in the right direction.
“We have immediate encampment work in the time that we are looking at February. We are also looking to create a long-term sustainability plan to make sure we are housing a lot of individuals in a lot of different ways,” says Environmental Health Officer at the New Orleans Health Department Talyor Diles.
Councilman JP Morrell says there has to be accountability from every department. So far, 27 people have been housed, and a group of 35 will be moved next. The city’s goal is to house 1,500 people this year.
Morrell says it all sounds good, but the council and the public need to see the full plan.
“If we are back here on the ninth and we have housed 10 more people, and we haven’t moved the needle so to speak, then it does become like we are back to circular fire squad,” says Morrell.
Tremé residents and business owners say they want the homeless encampment gone, saying what they have to tolerate is unfair.
“There are mornings we wake up to acts of prostitution in front of our house, our tires have been slashed, needles in the middle of the street,” says Tremé resident Amy Stelly.
“One kid picked up a condom and thought it was a balloon and was playing with it. One little girl almost took a needle and stuck herself,” says a Tremé resident.
Though Councilman Eugene Green acknowledges there is still a big problem, even though the money is there to house homeless individuals. He says the potential landlords need to be comfortable with the would-be tenants coming in off the streets.
“I understand landlords that feel comfortable taking that because yes, you have to talk to a landlord, and say we are going to provide you with continuing care. We are going to come visit at least once a week,” says Green.
Once the encampment is gone, there are no plans to close the area off but bring the space into community use through landscaping or parking spaces.
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