City of New Orleans to use additional federal dollars to fund moved VA house rehabs

Per a notice in the Times-Picayune, the city's Office of Community Development is amending the Consolidated Plan of 2008, which, as I understand it, governs the use of Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) monies in the city, to add the following moved VA houses to the Neighborhood Stabilization (NSP) Program, thereby providing funding to move the properties back into commerce:

613 N. Rocheblave
619 N. Rocheblave
627 N. Rocheblave
631 N. Rocheblave
633 N. Rocheblave
635 N. Rocheblave
1718 Bienville
1722 Bienville
1726 Bienville
1730 Bienville
1803 Bienville
1833 Bienville
2010 Bienville
2224 Bienville
2410 Bienville
2310 Iberville
2630 Palmyra
220 N. Derbigny
421 N. Miro
3000 Conti

These are the destination addresses of the houses in questions.  Significant amounts of work have already been done on many of these.  The total amount of funds involved is $2,302,208, but there are other properties involved that are not moved VA houses or Builder of Hope sponsored.  Builders of Hope is the sponsor for the houses listed above.

"Innovative"

Photo courtesy of Sandra Stokes.

Perhaps he was talking about the VA Footprint house moving effort, which was funded by CDBG dollars.  That undertaking could conceivably bear the label.

But the Times-Picayune story today doesn't make any notation to that effect.  Instead, we see Mayor Mitch Landrieu praising the LSU/VA hospital complex itself as innovative:

"From the hospital complex rising in Mid-City to ongoing renovations at the airport and the Superdome to a wave of new schools that will be built with FEMA dollars, the mayor said New Orleans is emerging as a 'laboratory' for the innovative use of tax dollars to create jobs."

I'm sorry.  The leveling of 70 acres of neighborhood in a national historic district in one of the most historic cities in America - when far less destructive alternatives were available - is the absolute antithesis of innovative.  It's failed urban renewal razing of the inner city all over again.  The City should be ashamed that it permitted the federal and state governments to use taxpayer dollars to displace over 500 residents and over 50 businesses trying to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.

Possible Funding for LSU Footprint House Moves

Here's a way for you to help.

In the middle of the above image, you'll note a public meeting notice.  It's set for tomorrow night:

Monday, November 29, 2010

5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

City Council Chambers, City Hall

The City is looking for public input on how to use $1.9 million of CDBG money for housing, economic development, and infrastructure, with a focus on eliminating blight and slum, urgent need, and benefit to low and moderate income people.

*Please attend this meeting and call upon those present to use a portion of the funds to move historic homes off the UMC (LSU) Footprint.  The rehabilitated moved homes from the VA Footprint, now found in various neighborhoods thanks to Builders of Hope, demonstrate the positive impacts of a house moving effort - one that falls squarely within the goals of the funding grant.  House moving is certainly better than demolition.

Unlike in the VA Footprint, there is still no concrete house moving plan in place for the UMC Footprint.  Over 50 historic structures are at risk of demolition, and seven structures have already been demolished.  Please attend tomorrow evening's meeting to help make the house moving effort a reality.