Next Steps – Advance the Rent Control/Tenants Rights and LRA Petitions and target the Legislative Special Session to attain our demands.
Saturday, November 18th Baton Rouge, LA – The "We Want Our Money" Rally galvanized several hundred Katrina Survivors, many from as far away as Houston, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia on the Louisiana Capitol Mall to demand justice from Governor Blanco and the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA). The rally and pressure campaign supported by hundreds of Survivors and their supporters throughout the country demanded:
1. That the LRA be disbanded and a representative institution or body is created to oversee and govern the recovery and reconstruction process;
2. That renters are compensated for their losses and be provided with resources to aid with moving costs, deposits, and rent assistance;
3. That all of the public housing units in New Orleans be reopened immediately;
4. That there be no demolition of any of the public housing units in New Orleans;
5. That rent gouging cease and decent affordable housing be made available;
6. That funds for the total replacement of privately owned homes be made available immediately.
In response to the rally and the pressure campaign, Governor Blanco and the LRA have been forced to proclaim that they are going to accelerate the pace of the Road Home Recovery process and try and address some of the concerns of renters. While the response is welcomed, it is in no way sufficient. It does not address the fundamental demand for justice for renters, side steps the issue of public housing, and offers no affordable housing guarantees. The People’s Hurricane Relief Fund is intent on fighting Governor Blanco and the LRA until our fundamental Affordable Housing and Tenants Rights demands are met. Our next step is to take these demands before the Special Legislative Session called by Governor Kathleen Blanco beginning on December 8th. We have also initiated two petition drives to win our demands and accomplish our campaign goals. One petition is to reorganize the LRA, the other to implement rent control and tenants rights in New Orleans.
The People’s Hurricane Relief Fund and Oversight Coalition (PHRF/OC) organized "We Want Our Money Rally". The Rally was supported by the African American Leadership Project, C3/Hands off Iberville, Common Ground Relief, Critical Resistance, the NAACP, Nation of Islam, NCOBRA, Safe Streets/Strong Communities, SCLC, SPARK, Survivors Village, Welfare Rights Organization, the Workers Center for Racial Justice. Legislative members Cedric Richmond and Anne Duplessis also supported the rally.
The People’s Hurricane Relief Fund and Oversight Coalition will be conducting a Tenants’ Rights Working Group meeting on Tuesday, November 21st at 6 pm to assess the rally and discuss the next steps to the Affordable Housing/Tenants Rights Campaign. The meeting will be held at 1418 N. Claiborne Ave.
For more information call (504) 301-02125
Click here for No Road Home for Renters fact sheet
Click here to download Rent Control petition
Click here to download Governor Blanco petition
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