NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— Tammie Chattman is one the dozens of former residents of the troubled Oakmont Apartments who the city helped to move to a hotel in New Orleans East because the apartments were substandard.
They’ve been housed there for over 30 days and the next step was to be affordable housing in the city, but that won’t be easy.
According to Clerk of 1st City Court Austin Badon, “Years ago, you used to be able to get a nice apartment for $500-$600 dollars, right now the going rate on a one-bedroom unit is at least $1,700 to $1,800.”
To exacerbate matters, Badon’s office has seen a dramatic rise in the amount of evictions filed, “Mid-day today my office is processing approximately 55-60 cases, which is unheard of.”
Badon says they will top out at 144 cases for the week.
The Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative has worked to help in many areas including getting free legal counsel for tenants in eviction court.
Jane Place’s Russell Moran stated, “People are still struggling with work and tenants need as much support as they can get.”
“Once we get the information about evictions, we then send out postcards to tenants informing them that an eviction has been filed against them,” said Y. Frank Southall.
That early warning system has helped to keep a roof over the head of many families, but in the case of Tammie Chattman and others from Oakmont staying in a hotel is not like you’re own place
Chattman said, “I’m not at home and that’s the big thing.”
