JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — In areas like under the Westbank Expressway in Jefferson Parish, it’s not uncommon to find people experiencing homelessness or simply in need. Parish leaders say it’s creating a problem.
“It’s affecting our quality of life,” said District Two Councilman Deano Bonano. “Since the pandemic, the number of homeless people on our streets has increased substantially. We estimate around 400 people.”
To better help those people the Jefferson Parish Council established a task force Wednesday to identify needed services and how to connect people to them.
“Right now, they’re provided services as different locations. We need to have one place, one-stop-shop, where somebody is taking that person from step one, step two, all the way down the road until they return to work and back to society."
With about $3.6 million coming from opioid lawsuit settlements, Bonano says that money must be used to treat addiction and its ripple effects.
“Homelessness, lack of medical treatment, lack of a job,” Bonano said. “So it’s all built into one model.”
Bonano points to services for mental health and housing as other needs the 20-member task force will help find solutions for.
“There’s a lot of different things that need to be done,” said executive director of UNITY of Greater New Orleans Martha Kegel.
According to the organization, homelessness in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish is up 15% over a year ago. Almost 1,400 people were living on the street or in a shelter during a January count. Kegel says a rise in homelessness over the last year stems from two major factors.
“One is that pandemic resources specifically to address homelessness have run out. The other one is that rents are soaring,” Kegel said.
The non-profit coordinates housing and services for people experiencing homelessness in Jefferson and Orleans Parishes. Kegel says a Jefferson Parish-specific task force is a good move.
“This is the problem that we face but there are solutions to it and the good news is those solutions are actually cost-effective,” Kegel said.
Solutions this task force will work to figure out.
“It’s an issue we’ve got to address,” Bonano said. “You just can’t wave a wand and make it go away.”
In addition to the task force, the parish broke ground last month on a $1.3 million state-funded project to redesign the area under the Westbank Expressway. It’s meant to deter people from setting up there.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.