Date Published:
February 1, 2008
The community of advocates who protested at Senator Vitter's home this past Friday [March 2008] represents a diverse group of New Orleans residents and members of the Gulf Coast community who are determined to have our voices heard on the great need for access to sustainable affordable housing options. We are far from "fringe" (a characterization attributed to the group by the Senator).
Senator Vitter continues to obstruct the passage of SB 1668. This legislation includes affordable housing solutions that would ensure that all former residents of New Orleans can return to their homes. Obviously, this is not Senator Vitter's desire. Over 4,500 units for working poor, elderly, disabled and underemployed families in New Orleans are now callously scheduled to be destroyed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) without any guarantee of one for one replacement and through his stubborn failure to support SB 1668, Senator Vitter refuses to intervene in this tragedy of injustice while at the same time, blocking additional funds that the bill would make available to the area.
We want to remind the Senator that the men, women, and children forced to live on the streets in part from the failed policies he has created and implemented, face a much greater "threat" to their personal safety than any protest at his home creates for him or his family. The safety and basic human rights of public housing residents, renters, and the homeless displaced by the flood must be respected with equal measure as those of the Senator.
We continue to call on Senator Vitter to cease his inhumane and partisan opposition to SB 1668, and to respect the voices of those directly impacted by these polices to implement the solutions they desire and need. We are further resolved to meet with the Senator per his invitation on the basis of mutual dignity and respect at any mutually agreeable time in the month of February.
