Advertiser specials

Sponsored Message: Carling Dinkler’s Plan for Public Safety

By |

When I talk to voters in District 91, public safety is always a top concern. I believe there are policies and investments we can make to strengthen the safety of our families and our neighborhoods.

First, I lost my mom to mental illness and substance abuse. It shook me, and I pledge to work so that no one loses a family member this way. Currently, our jails serve as de facto mental health institutions, creating a cycle of crime and mental health struggles. We can and should give mental health professionals more resources in New Orleans and build on successful programs like the Vera Institute’s collaboration with the NOPD’s 8th District, where people at risk for arrest due to mental illness get connected with treatment professionals instead of law enforcement.

opinion

Danae Columbus: Mayor, City Council must fast-track affordable housing solutions

By |

Why are thousands of New Orleans working-poor families struggling to find a decent place to live? The answer is simple: Our government leaders are dragging their feet in making enough affordable housing available to meet the need.

“We are in the midst of a crisis in New Orleans,” said Housing NOLA Executive Director Andreanecia Morris, one of the city’s most knowledgeable housing experts. The rising cost of living in New Orleans is most severely impacting residents who earn less than 80% of the area’s annual medium income ($53,000 for a family of four). Many of these individuals work in the service industry. With no clear end in sight, the crisis is only becoming even worse. Although Mayor LaToya Cantrell has provided some funding for new units and has millions of dollars more in the pipeline, for the second year in a row the overall number of affordable units has decreased.