Philanthropist and Open Society Institute Chairman George Soros Billionaire philanthropist George Soros arrived in New Orleans Tuesday to survey the progress of his foundation’s social investments, and after being in the city for less than 24 hours, he said he intends to increase his involvement in post-Katrina recovery efforts. Such expansion of giving comes at […]
Category: Government & Politics
Posted inGovernment & Politics
What the #$*! does James Perry Know?
Though he announced his intention to seek the city’s highest office way back in 2008, housing advocate James Perry has largely failed to generate any discernible attention – positive or negative – in print, on television, or over the radio airwaves. That no longer seems to be a problem. This week was a bit of […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
My Fake Life
Last week The Lens did a series of reports on the state of housing here in New Orleans. Thinking about the questions raised by the research highlighted in our reports, I decided to take a deeper look at the day-to-day, paycheck-to-paycheck reality of the population know in housing lingo as “the workforce” Specifically, I wanted […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
BGR President: "Inaccurate" to Say too Much Affordable Housing
In an interview with The Lens this afternoon, Janet Howard, president of the Bureau of Governmental Research stated that it would be “inaccurate” for someone to use their report The House That Uncle Sam Built: The Continued Expansion of Subsidized Housing in New Orleans to say there was too much subsidized housing. Even with testimony […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
The Public Cost of Eviction
The tenant skipped out before the end of the month. New Orleans landlord Donald Vallee wasn’t too surprised. He’d seen it before — and in post-Katrina, recession-era New Orleans, he’d seen it quite frequently. This time around, the tenant left behind a $643 per-month three-bedroom, 1,400-square-foot townhouse in eastern New Orleans. “It was a reasonable […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Lens Transcript: GNO Data Center Deputy Director Allison Plyer
When it comes to collecting all the data needed for a complete picture of city housing stocks and plans, there are many impediments and gaps in information gathered. What would it take to compile a full comprehensive housing assessment? Allison Plyer: We have a really good detailed picture of what exists and what’s to come […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Lens Transcript: Lousiana Housing Chief Milton Bailey
Much of the plight of affordable housing in New Orleans and around the state lies in the hands of the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, which helps provide financing to build housing for low-income households. The Lens caught up with LHFA President Milton Bailey today to collect his thoughts on the challenges of creating affordable housing […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
The Bottom Line on Affordable Housing
Today the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center released the report “Housing Production Needs: Three Scenarios for New Orleans” where they explore the issue of just how much housing is needed now, and how much more may be needed in the future. What they found is that it’s extremely difficult to quantify the total supply […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Investigations
A New Source
The Lens will be an investigative news source and daily blog. Data-driven news stories, thoroughly researched and engagingly presented, will be complemented by daily blogs that cut to the quick. We will look behind the smoke and mirrors of big-city governance and also shine a light on key issues in communities too often ignored by […]