Pelosi and Reid Urge President to Halt Demolition of Public Housing in New Orleans

    WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi and
 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sent the following letter to President
 Bush yesterday requesting an immediate 60-day moratorium on the demolition
 of public housing developments in New Orleans.
 
 

     The text of the letter follows:
 
     December 14, 2007
 
     The Honorable George W. Bush
     President
     The White House
     Washington, DC 20500
 
     Dear Mr. President:
     We are writing to request an immediate 60-day moratorium on the
 demolition of New Orleans' public housing developments: C.J. Peete, St.
 Bernard, Lafitte, and B.W. Cooper. The Housing Authority of New Orleans
 (HANO), currently under the control of the Department of Housing and Urban
 Development (HUD), is demolishing these homes under executive authority.
 Although a temporary restraining order has delayed the demolition of these
 units to next week or possibly longer, we believe that additional time is
 needed in order to resolve several outstanding issues surrounding the
 City's affordable housing needs, including the need for a comprehensive
 plan for replacement of any demolished public housing units.
 
     We believe that New Orleans' recovery requires a viable plan for its
 affordable housing needs. We are committed to working with you and the
 Department to execute such a plan for replacing affordable housing
 currently scheduled for demolition. The entire New Orleans metropolitan
 region is in dire need of the kind of affordable housing that will allow
 citizens to return and grow the workforce. The Department's premature push
 for complete demolition impedes this goal. Given the poor condition of New
 Orleans' rental housing stock, the rising levels of homelessness in the
 City, and the sound construction of some of these developments, these
 housing resources should not be demolished without a viable full
 replacement plan in place.
 
     As you know, the area is still recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and
 Rita and the Federal levee breaks, which destroyed 67 percent of the
 housing stock in Orleans Parish and almost 100 percent in neighboring St.
 Bernard Parish. Much of this housing has yet to be rebuilt. The shortage of
 housing has pushed rents in the City, and surrounding metropolitan area,
 well above their normal levels, with rents rising 45 percent since the
 storm.
 
     The lack of available and affordable housing is being felt acutely
 across the City and region. According to a January 2007 study by UNITY of
 New Orleans, since January of 2005, the number of homeless in the City has
 more than doubled to almost 12,000 individuals. Many of these homeless
 residents are living under Interstate 10 or in Duncan Plaza, next to New
 Orleans City Hall. Experts at the Brookings Institution cite a net 9,000
 unit decrease in affordable housing for the City of New Orleans. According
 to an August study by the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps, 50 percent of
 families wanting to return to the City earn less than $20,000 a year. It is
 clear that affordable housing, including public housing, is essential for
 these families.
 
     Given the City's housing needs and the current availability of these
 affordable housing resources, we are extremely disappointed by the
 Department's insistence on moving ahead with this demolition despite
 insufficient resources to make up the clear loss of affordable housing. For
 the Federal government to reduce affordable housing units at a time when
 the City is desperate for this very type of housing is a misuse of taxpayer
 funds and runs counter to the mission of the Department, not to mention the
 core values that we share. Additionally, HANO has not completed a promised
 survey of displaced residents and has indicated that this important
 document now will not be ready until late January at the earliest. HANO has
 also not provided meaningful opportunity for residents to collect their
 belongings. The additional sixty days would allow for the resolution of
 these and other essential issues, including the completion of a
 comprehensive plan for HANO redevelopment of all affordable units, and
 replacement of any units proposed for demolition.
 
     As many in the country prepare to spend the holiday season at home with
 their families, we urge you to consider these New Orleans families and
 their homes. We strongly urge you to halt the demolition of these units.
 
 

     Sincerely,
 
     Nancy Pelosi                            Harry Reid
 
     Speaker of the House                    Senate Majority Leader
 
 

SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House