Prior to Katrina, thousands of New Orleans residents lived in public housing. The public housing residents often had to endure horrific living conditions: poorly maintained units, an abundance of filth, out of control crime, drugs, gangs and more. It was not the living conditions that any human being today should have to endure. Then Katrina hit and the units were abandoned by fleeing residents. Presently, the vast majority of the units remain unoccupied and a battle is being waged over the future of public housing in New Orleans.

Some residents are demanding access to their old units. In fact, right now, in a few of the complexes, such as the St. Bernard public housing development, squatters inhabit units illegally.

Last year, the Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed a plan to demolish four of the public housing complexes and replace them with mixed income developments, providing less concentration of poverty and helping to spur economic growth in the neighborhoods.

It is very difficult to attract businesses to areas of New Orleans that have an abundance of low income housing. A poll conducted on the WDSU-TV website yesterday asked viewers whether Section 8 housing is good for New Orleans East. Not surprisingly, a whopping 75% said no.

Housing activists are outraged that residents are not being allowed to live in decrepit public housing units and claim that there is some sort of racial and economic discrimination being displayed by the Bush administration.

Not surprisingly, some politicians are jumping on the bandwagon, trying to pander to the African American community. Democrats in Congress are getting ready to pass a bill that will prevent the Department of Housing and Urban Development from demolishing the public housing units.

Sadly, Democrats are playing politics on an issue like basic housing needs that should be above the political fray. I would hope each and every Congressman voting to retain public housing in New Orleans spends a few nights in the units, to experience the living conditions personally.

If so, the vast majority would realize that we can do better for our citizens. HUD is planning to demolish 4,500 units and build neighborhood communities in their place. The goal will not be to abandon public housing residents, but to provide for them better living conditions: neighborhoods, less housing density, a safer environment to raise children, newer homes, and more.

All one has to do is go to the lower Garden District of New Orleans to see the possibilities. Instead of the St. Thomas Public Housing Development, there are now neighborhoods, filled with a mix of brand new low and moderate income housing. It sure is a much more attractive place to live for residents and provides a much better environment to raise children.

It is sad that some activists and public housing residents are demanding to return to the squalid living conditions that existed prior to Katrina, with high concentrations of poverty and crime. Everyone should want a better quality of life for all of our citizens, but such laudable aims often run afoul of politicians trying to score political points and, unfortunately, this issue is no exception.

Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and he is the host of a Louisiana based program, “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 8:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and Noon till 2 p.m. weekdays on several Louisiana radio stations. For more information, visit his web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com.