OP/ED: Public housing can, should be rehabbed
Posted August 6, 2009 | Contact pr@nthp.org or 202-588-6141
By Richard Moe | March 10, 2008
Washington, D.C. Published in Times-Picayune.
As demolition of the four largest historic public housing developments in New Orleans proceeds, questions about the wisdom of the action continue to haunt us.
While arguments may persist over how much public housing is needed, it is clear that New Orleans is experiencing a shortage of affordable living space. Nonetheless, 4,500 units of public housing are slated to be bulldozed in the name of "recovery."
In an eerie echo of the discredited urban renewal policies of previous decades, the mayor and city council have joined with HANO and HUD to destroy thousands of units of potential workforce housing.
There has been heated rhetoric on both sides of this issue, so let me be perfectly clear: Historic preservation and housing advocates have never argued that public housing should be kept as it was. We recognize that most 20th-century experiments in massive public housing were a resounding disaster.
But we continue to believe it is possible -- and desirable -- to use the historic housing projects as the basis for carefully planned mixed-income redevelopment in which new construction is blended with rehabilitated older buildings, and streets are opened to facilitate better integration with surrounding neighborhoods.
However, our proposals have been drowned out by demands that almost every building be eradicated -- as if destroying the structures themselves would eliminate the failed social and housing policies they symbolize.
The loss of these substantial structures, which have survived neglect, hurricanes and the nation's greatest manmade disaster, is especially tragic given what we have learned from the new developers. The mantra that rehabilitation is impossible has been proven false.
At B.W. Cooper and C.J. Peete, for example, plans now call for the rehabilitation of two multi-unit historic buildings for permanent housing. At the former St. Thomas site, five historic buildings have been rehabbed to provide 37 units of beautiful low-income rental housing. Why can't this be done for more buildings?
The 303 interim units now available at B.W. Cooper, along with the potential 196 interim units at Lafitte and another 75 units at St. Bernard, are good reasons to revisit the false assumption that redevelopment requires total demolition. These units represent an opportunity for 574 households to contribute to the economic life of the city -- in less time than demolition-based redevelopment would require.
Recognizing the links between historic preservation and the protection of our fragile environment, the National Trust recently launched a new initiative to focus public awareness on the high environmental price we pay when we destroy buildings rather than recycling them.
Some good examples of new green architecture can be found in New Orleans, but sustainable design involves wise retention and reuse of existing buildings and their materials as well.
Instead of adding the rubble from these 4,500 homes to our overflowing landfills, why not rehabilitate and reuse them -- and help address the housing shortage at the same time?
New Orleans has seen its share of preservation battles over the decades, but this one is unique. It involves not only a threat to historic resources but also an opportunity to renew the city's heritage while helping people find homes in a timely fashion.
Before any more sound, reusable buildings are destroyed, I urge the city leadership to suspend the demolition permits, and reconvene discussions among community leaders in order to correct a course of action based on false assumptions.
Failing to do so will result in losses to the city that are historically irreparable, environmentally irresponsible -- and totally unnecessary.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history – and the important moments of everyday life – took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, DC, nine regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in all 50 states, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories. For more information visit www.PreservationNation.org.
