Squandered Heritage

For the last several weeks we have been trying to analyze the Imminent Danger List, as defined by the City of New Orleans.

This map was created using the notices in the newspaper.

It is no news to anyone who lives in this City that there are a great number of houses that need to come down. Some of us live next to or near a property like that.

The name of this list suggests that we would find those properties on this list.

Among the obvious listings we have found a number of homes which are not in imminent danger to health and safety, and the homeowners would like to remove them from the list.

This house is owned by a 97 year old woman, she stayed during the storm managed to get herself to the I610 and spent days baking there in the sun. Her house took on a few inches of water, there is minimal damage.

Another story comes from Broadmoor.

Another elderly homeowner trying to save her home.

Here are some signs she has placed on her front door.

Another house right around the corner…

And the sign that greets you.

Another property owner, who by the way has moved a house to save it, is now fighting down the Demo machine.

These signs have been posted to ward off the Bulldozers. It seems that Entergy came by and cut the gas lines which is a very bad sign.

This shotgun in Black Pearl was damaged by the Tornado in February. The owner recounted for me the steps she has undertaken to repair this house, including an engineers report from Abry Brothers, a contract and building permit, and an endless stream of communication with City Hall that leads nowhere.

The City has no clear direction to have your house removed from the list. For example they can call your house an “Imminent Danger” with no engineering report, but then require you to supply one to get OFF the list. At this point in time the list may be in the hands of FEMA and the Corps.

The owners of this home on Washington Ave were shocked to find themselves on the list. And shocked again to find that someone at City Hall had changed the Damage assesment for 48 percent to 93 percent.

We have put a request into the City to see the entire list, updated and easily viewed .This tool would allow Neighbors and Neighborhood Organizations to identify the status of nuisance properties and catch the errors that seem to pepper this list.

Clcik here to see more houses