Section 8 housing line
As was mentioned in the other post about the section 8 housing line, this was one of the most interesting and saddening parts of our trip to New Orleans. As we approached Kenner from the freeway, the massive line of people waiting to apply for section 8 housing vouchers was stunning. Once we got closer, I could see that the mass of people that we were able to see from the freeway was a line that wrapped around at least two blocks. Along side the people in line was a grass area covered in trash, blankets, and other objects people had left behind. Police cars and officers filled the middle of the street. Interviewing some of the people in line gave me a very different perspective of the situation in New Orleans post-Katrina. The line was disproportionatly black with very few, only a handful, of white people. The people waiting in line were aware of this fact and pointed out how much this demonstrates that the State and the city doesnt wan’t “them” back. Throughout the week interviewing residents in the Hollygrove community, I had head many people’s frustration with the rebuilding process and that the lack of State assistance really made it difficult to feel wanted and welcomed back into their community. Standing in the section 8 housing line really solidified my understanding of what so many people had expressed. One of the women we spoke with told us how the state had been urging people to “come home” but then pointed to what the state does when the people do come home. Rent has more than doubled for most places in the New Orleans area since Katrina. Practically everyone that we spoke to was employed and had not received any form of housing assistance prior to Katrina. It was working people who use to own or rent housing that were waiting in line to apply for section 8 vouchers. For many people this was seen as a major failure of the state and its reconstruction efforts. Additionally, the people who were forced to turn to section 8 vouchers for help were faced with numerous roadblocks. The line itself was disorganized, ineffecient, and almost inhumane. People were forced to wait outside throughout the night, during the rain, and late into the next day to be afforded the opportunity to apply for a voucher. This meant that they could apply to be placed on a waiting list for one of 500 vouchers. Even for those who would receive a voucher, it would not be for a long time and they would then be faced with finding the housing to use their voucher on. Fights were breaking out in line due to people cutting and the police were less than respectful to everyone waiting. The Housing Authority did not provide anything for the people in line: no food, water, or even trash cans. Many people in line told us that this line was obviously because the city and state did not want “them” back. Although I had heard this before, I didn’t really understand what people meant until I stood with them in line. It seemed like there wasn’t any way for these people to win. They were working, but the rediculously low minimum wage doesn’t cut the raising rent. So they turn to housing assistance only to spend over 8 hours waiting in line for the possibility of receiving assistance in the distant future. I began to feel it too… someone was making it really hard for these people to come home. Wether or not this was or is the intention of either the state, city, or housing authority, the important thing is that it seems like it is. The people trying to return home not only feel unwelcomed and unwanted, but that they are being prevented from doing so. I have to agree that it seemed to be the case. If this perception is in fact wrong, someone needs to fix it. Fix it by making processes like the section 8 line work. Fix it by really helping people return home. As long as things in the New Orleans area continue to “work” like they did in this line, people will continue to feel that they are not wanted back in their home. Why keep fighting to come back when you feel like no one wants you there? It seems that many people will eventually give up. It seems like that is the plan.�
