NEW ORLEANS — Notices were distributed to unhoused people in and around the French Quarter late this past week telling them to leave within 24 hours or they “may be assisted in relocating to an encampment at another site.” The encampment listed on the notice is one that was the subject of controversy when state-led sweeps relocated people to it last month.
In a statement Friday, City Council member Lesli Harris said the notices are part of "Governor Landry's next round of homeless sweeps." In late October, State Police and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries relocated multiple encampments downtown.
Leaders were split. State Rep. Alonzo Knox, who represents Downtown New Orleans, said at the time that the “Men and women of the State Police and Wildlife and Fisheries conducted themselves in the most professional and compassionate manner.”
Council Member Harris said the sweep interfered with the City’s own plan to clear the encampments. “These are people, many of whom had vouchers in hand, who were ready to be moved to housing and now the state has come down and moved them farther down the street without a plan in place to get them housed,” she said.
She echoed that in Friday’s statement, adding that during the first round of sweeps, “Case managers lost contact with over 63 unhoused residents, who were set to be housed within weeks.”
Many of those individuals were moved to a single encampment under US-90B near South Robertson Street. Saturday, there were more than a dozen tents set up there. A city contractor was erecting fencing on the other side of the street.
The notices handed out this week list shelters and other resources. At the bottom, they say, “For those who do not comply with the notice to move, you may be assisted in relocating to an encampment at another site” with a description of the location of the one created last month.
WWL Louisiana reached out to Governor Landry’s office and State Police Saturday and have not received a response.
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