NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell touted the city's progress in moving the unhoused off the streets and into permanent housing.
The city recently entered into a contract with a consulting firm to help implement its plan to house 420 unhoused people by the end of November and Cantrell says progress continues to move forward.
Speaking to reporters at her weekly press conference, the mayor said the city was able to house 17 people in October with more planned by the end of this month.
“A major part of this plan is really decommissioning our homeless encampments throughout the city of New Orleans in a more targeted approach. And as we look to a direct to housing approach, meeting people where they are always dignifying them with our response, and of course, always with a respect,” Cantrell said.
Cantrell said the city continues to “do the work” towards its goal of housing over 1500 individuals.
“We have set an ambitious goal, I will say of dealing with all of our encampments and really activating over 1500 individuals connecting them to housing by the end of 2025, being very practical, being very upfront about our strategies,” she said.
“But again, our intentions, meeting folks where they are getting them to resources are rapid in a wraparound approach to keeping them off the street but keeping them nestled with the complements that they need to have a successful bounce back and a successful life.”
On Monday the city began its plan to close homeless encampments and move people without housing into subsidized apartments.
Cantrell, however, did not say how many homeless encampments have been cleared out by the city.
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