NEW ORLEANS — The first University of New Orleans Quality of Life study in four years is out and the numbers are not good for Mayor Latoya Cantrell.
It also paints a generally unflattering picture of the city.
“Residents of the city are dissatisfied with life in New Orleans, and they say it has become a worse place to live over the last five year,” said Dr. Ed Chervenak, director of the UNO Survey Research Center.
Chervenak also says the poll of 500 registered voters in the city showed a large majority is unhappy with Mayor Cantrell’s job performance.
“Only 31 percent of residents in Orleans give her positive marks for her performance in office, whereas 62 percent are unhappy with the job she is doing as mayor. Thirty-five percent strongly disapprove of the job that she is doing.”
The survey also showed NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson with a 35 percent job approval rating and the city council with 45 percent approval.
When asked what the biggest problem was facing New Orleans, 56 percent of the respondents said crime. That’s compared to 35 percent four years ago.
“In Orleans, residents lack confidence that the police can protect them,” Chervenak said. “It’s not just a matter of crime being out there and being fearful of crime, there’s actually the sense that nothing’s being done to address it.”
Over in Jefferson Parish nearly 40 percent of the 500 registered voters surveyed there also named crime as their biggest concern.
Five percent of JP residents indicated New Orleans was their biggest problem.
“People who are moving in from New Orleans or crime problems from New Orleans or Orleans Parish, so they’re viewing it as more of a problem than ever,” Chervenak said.
While the survey shows quality of life has declined slightly in JP, residents gave Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng and Sheriff Joe Lopinto high marks.
The job approval rating for Lee Sheng is 74 percent and Lopinto 79 percent.
Back in New Orleans, the survey showed only 12 percent of residents have a positive opinion of trash collection in the city.
That’s compared to 67 percent just four years ago.
The two highest rated city government services were fire protection and public transportation.
The survey was taken Sept. 10 through 28.
It has a sampling error of plus or minus 4.3 percent.
Gregory Joseph, Director of Communications for the City of New Orleans, said that the Cantrell administration respects the concerns raised by the survey and "remains optimistict about the future of New Orleans."
"Throughout the City, our residents are experiencing firsthand increased police presence in their neighborhoods due to the additional deployment of public safety officers recently implemented by Chief Ferguson," Joseph said. "More officers will, in return, make our communities safer, and the early progress this deployment has produced is encouraging."
"In addition, strides continue to be made to clean up this City by addressing decades of old blight like abandoned lots and old buildings. So far this year, over 65 demolitions have occurred throughout the City, with a large portion of these happening in the East – another sign that this administration is committed to a creating a cleaner New Orleans. The City of New Orleans also continues to see its economy rebound from the global COVID-19 pandemic, as we have witnessed the return of major festivals, conferences and events, while economic investment and job creation are all occurring at pre-pandemic levels. This report and others demonstrate why this entire administration remains focused on utilizing the 2023 budget, as well as the federal American Rescue Plan Dollars, to improve quality of life, enhance City services, ensure residents and visitors feel safe and protected and overall meet the needs of our people and continue to deliver results."
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