French Quarter residents fearful they will not get proper housing

RESIDENTS FEARFUL THAT THEY WILL NOT GET PROPER ACCOMMODATIONS AS PROMISED

By Andrew Bishop

FRENCH QUARTER — The senior citizens are still waiting on the Collectivité to find proper housing for them following the hurricanes of 2017. According to them they have not heard from President Daniel Gibbs since he had condemned the lower flats in the project in French Quarter as “unfit for living.”

The tenants are arguing that although the ground floor of these buildings were condemned they have not heard of alternative housing as yet. Visiting one of the homes one can clearly see they have mold and in some cases the bathroom and toilets are not working.

“The entire area was flooded with water from the sea mixed with sewerage water and dirt. I had to take out my handicapped mother and find shelter for her at a relative. She is unable to walk and after the flood water subsided I had to clean the entire place. We lost everything with the hurricane,” said one of the tenants in a conversation.

Meanwhile, there seem to be some effort by the Collectivité to have some of the homes in the project repaired, although the workmen are working at a “snail pace” to have the work done.

With another hurricane threatening the island in a few days, the tenants are worried that it will be some time before they could get proper housing.

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Photo caption: Photo shows part of the project in French Quarter that was damaged with the passage of Hurricane Irma in September 6, 2007. Photo by Andrew Bishop.