Renting in New Orleans Post-Katrina

The rental situation in New Orleans is in such a state of flux right now. So much of the city has been devastated, and apartments and houses are unhinhabitable. In some areas, there are a few habitable houses in some blocks, but the restoration of utilities is very sketchy. The neighborhoods such as the French Quarter, Uptown, and the Garden Districts are the only areas where most homes are liveable. These were already some of the highest rentals in New Orleans pre-Katrina. So even if rental prices hadn't changed, many of the people who wish to come back to the city couldn't afford these places. Students, laborers, hospitality workers, etc. can't afford these rents.

But rentals are skyrocketing in all areas now. I don't believe that's going to stay that way. In fact, I'm worried what will happen in a few months. Right now, apartments are scarce and so many of them are occupied by FEMA workers...who pay whatever rates are being asked. Because there's high demand right now, with a large number of people who'll pay those rents, landlords are charging more. That's natural, and property owners are trying to recoup losses. But some rents are ridiculously high. There are landlords who are really trying to take advantage.

Robin, a displaced resident looking for a place to return to, and lamenting the lack of inclusion of photos of available places, wrote the following ad on Craig's List. I think it eloquently sums up what many people are feeling:

Try to remember that alot of us who are reading these ads are still out of town and can't zip by for a quick look to see what shape your property is truthfully in, or what shape the neighborhood is in. Even a PRE Katrina picture is better than no pics at all, so long as you are candid about it's current condition.

BTW- I would rent from someone with damaged, but functional/safe property, if it has reasonable rent A LOT faster than I would rent to someone with inflated rent (condition surprises, or no). After all, I'm sympathetic to the situation we are all in.

BUT... I personally am not stupid, thank you, and I'm not into being taken advantage of right now. I know you have costs to recover, but that isn't my responsibility just because I want to rent from you.

I don't own the property, you do. (Besides, I have my own problems with FEMA, and my insurance company, and my personal losses etc., without being asked to compensate for yours.)
I CAN pay my rent, and I AM willing to work hard to do it. Isn't that the type of tenant you want?

What I AM into though, is staying in the house for a long time, being a reliable renter, helping to revitalize both your place, and my neighbors' place, and contributing to the wellness of New Orleans.

PLUS, I think I represent alot of the renters out here who want to come home, but are unable to see pictures of what's available, or are running up against these unrealistic rents. We have to make decisions out here in these cities too, in the meantime, and it's a really tough spot to be in. I'd rather see my money going back into New Orleans' economy myself.

What kind of tenant do you REALLY want? It's not all about money you know. Sooner or later, that won't be enough.

A tenant who can genuinely afford the rents I'm seeing in here, at some point, is going to look around themselves, and say, "Hey, I can pay for better", and they WILL leave.

Remember, the shock is wearing off out here. We are thinking more clearly now. You aren't the only property holder in town.

(Oh, and if any of you are, or suspect you soon will be sued for the wrongful eviction of a previous tenant, in order to ask the rent you are asking here, I will find out before paying you, (background checks fly both ways now), so you may as well be candid about that in your ad too.)

Rising Tide

This is a really great book by John M. Barry. It recalls the floods of 1927 in Mississippi and how it affected America. So many of the same issues are repeated today ... from the effects on industry to the lines of division between races. There is SO much that can be learned from this book. It's highly recommended reading. You can take a look by clicking the link in the column to the right on this page.

This photo was found at www.nola.com. The caption read:
Irony at it's best: this was found on top of a book case that had been submerged. All of the papers and books next to it were moldy, but this one was fine.

Mardi Gras

The celebration of Mardi Gras this year is a topic that's causing misplaced controversy. Proponents of Mardis Gras say that people need something to celebrate. Opponents say that it's inappropriate to celebrate so soon after such a tragedy.

If this were purely an emotional issue, I might agree with the opponents. To be honest, I grew tired of Mardi Gras celebrations within an hour or two of my first exposure to it. I tend to prefer quieter people with a little more self control. :-)

However, emotions should not be the deciding factor in this issue. It's irrelevant.

If we want to rebuild New Orleans, the city needs to generate revenue. If a city can't support itself, it can't exist. Do we really think the Federal Government would be eager to throw billions of dollars into an area that can't support itself?

So in my humble opinion, we need to whoop it up and do everything we can to draw record crowds to the Mardi Gras celebrations this year. We need to help the local businesses attract a clientele. Hotels need bookings (what do we think they'll do when FEMA pulls out?), shops needs buyers, restaurants need patrons. The city's coffers to have cashflow.

If we can prove to the Federal Government that New Orleans can rebuild a tourism industry, I think we'd get more funding. We need to prove that this is a place people would want to come. If we can make this year's Mardi Gras celebration a success, I think New Orleans would be taking the first steps toward self sufficiency again.

People are scared to come back right now, whether to live or to vacation. They're worried about health issues, safety, accomodations, etc. This might be a chance to show people that the parts of the city that survived are still worthy of visiting. Perhaps more residents would be willing to come home if the celebrations this year are a success.

For anyone who insists that Mardi Gras celebrations this year should be cancelled ... I say you're asking for a death sentence for the city you say you're supporting. Yes, we need to heal emotionally. Our losses were extreme and we'll carry our sadness with us for the rest of our lives. But we can't sit down in the mud and give up, we need to take the action that will heal our lives.

If you don't feel like celebrating, that's understandable. But let others come into our city and help us get back on our feet. Let's allow the one aspect of New Orleans that can really generate much-needed revenue to heal as quickly as possible. If we can do that, it'll be a healthier environment for us to get past our own pain.

This Racial Issue

You won't often see me get angry or critical. I try to be gentle, kind and fair, and I don't feel that I personally have any need to engage in controversial discussions. For the most part, many controversial issues are divided by a line that separates common sense from the misinformed. It's when I see something that is being misrepresented and is causing damage that I will speak up.

The racial issue that has become very inflamed since Katrina devasted the Gulf Coast is one of those issues. I'm weary of reading such articles as this one (this link may expire soon, it's a posted news article):

http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/010706ccklrWWLnola.561e1943.html
By ERIN TEXEIRA / AP National Writer

Erin Texeira's articles are usually about ethnic issues and culture. But I'm right here in the middle of all this...I see what New Orleans is like. It's irresponsible and dangerous to try to inflame racial issues what that's NOT what is happening here. Erin and so many others want to make a racial issue of this. Much of the racism that exists in this area right now is because of this sort of exacerbation.

Erin writes that the black neighborhoods are the ones that aren't being rebuilt. Her article insinuates that black neighborhoods are being neglected in the rebuilding efforts ... because they're black. She says that Uptown and the Garden District are being rebuilt because they're predominantly white.

C'mon, Erin. Don't make the ignorance worse. I've been in those neighborhoods. First, Uptown and the Garden District are being "rebuilt" because the damage was a LOT less severe. The city MUST get back on it's feet and Uptown, the Garden District and the French Quarter are the areas that could resume more normal functioning a lot faster. The areas in question referred to as "black" neighborhoods (New Orleans East and the Lower 9th Ward), are going to take a lot of time, a lot of money, and a lot of effort to rebuild. She says in her article that MONTHS later (4 months) there is STILL no electricity, gas, water, or any other services in those neighborhoods.

Erin, it's not because those neighborhoods were black. It's because they were DESTROYED. It will take YEARS to get those areas functioning again. I've been there, I've driven through those streets. There is no repair that needs to be done. Everything has to be rebuilt from the ground up. It's GONE.

It's not because those neighborhoods were black that it will take a long time to rebuild. It's because nobody is really coming back to them. Who's going to run millions of dollars of power, sewer and gas to a dozen people? It's not because they were black. It's because the infrastructure that provides services to those areas was ruined and must be rebuilt.

Uptown and the Garden District are getting the attention because they can be repaired. These areas suffered exponentially less damage than the others. And in some cases where there was major repair or rebuilding, the residents could afford it.

Erin mentions in her article that the demographics of the rebuilding plan show predominantly black neighborhoods being recommended as last to be rebuilt ... if they're rebuilt at all. Erin (and the rest of you out there who want to inflame racial prejudices), it's NOT a division between black and white. It's a division between wealthy and poor, not race. That's very, very different.

Richer neighborhoods have residents who can afford to rebuild. Poorer neighborhoods do not. Richer neighborhoods, built by people who have money, grew in the most desireable areas of the city ... the higher ground that didn't flood. Homes for the wealthy are often built better because the owners can afford to build them that way. Anywhere a city has ever been built, the most desireable land has been settled by the people with more money, and less desireable lands settled by people who have less money.

It's the same in the New Orleans. Poorer neighborhoods developed where they did because the only land people could afford was the cheaper land in lower elevations. If anyone wants to criticize people for building in those areas, I'll likely break my rule of politeness and diplomacy, and tell that person to just shut up. People want to own land, and they will buy what they can afford. Personally, I think that one of the things that drew so many people here WAS the unique ethnic diversity ... the rich cultural mix that made New Orleans famous. People wanted to settle this area, deserved to settle this area, and made the best choices they could.

If you think those poorer neighborhoods were black because they were poor, or poor because they were black, that's a completely different topic.

The issue of rebuilding New Orleans is a delicate one because we're talking about people's lives here ... and the heartbreaking destruction of their dreams and ambitions and the fruits of their entire years of labor, regardless of their net worth or social status. But another reason the subject is so delicate is that people such as Erin Teseira will sometimes get confused and try to make a racial issue from something that is purely based on common sense and practical planning. Every day down here, I'm seeing racial tensions inflamed by the media when they're not necessary.

I'm not saying Erin's not a good reporter. In fact, I very much admire that she will tackle such difficult subjects and be an advocate for people when they truly ARE being discriminated against. I just feel that in this case, Erin's judgement, and anyone else who is trying to read racial issues into the rebuilding of New Orleans, is very misguided.

Racism exists. It's disgusting and it's ugly and I have no tolerance for it. But let's not try to create it where it didn't exist. The demographics of the rebuilding of New Orleans are based purely on the damage. And if most of the damage occurred in poorer neighborhoods, it's because that land in lower elevations was all those people could afford. It's the quality of the land that made the neighborhoods poor, not the color of the residents.

Despite my criticism of Erin's article, I very, very much applaud her efforts to make a difference in the important fight against the ignorance called racism. And I hope that, if she were to read my little blog here, that she'd realize I honor her by addressing this issue using her words as an example. Moths are attracted to the brighter flame ... ::Grin::

The truth is, her article really is just a good example of misconception. Let's not do injustice to the fight against racism by creating it where it doesn't exist. That is counterproductive.

Let's pray that the less fortunate are able to find their homes again in the places that they want. And I hope that the hurt and loss can fade into the past as soon as possible.

Miss Pity Paws

In the midst of difficult times, it's good to look for the little blessings...the little things that help you keep a good attitude.

About 3 1/2 weeks after Katrina hit, I got back to my home in Mid City New Orleans. I wasn't really supposed to be there; only residents of Uptown, the French Quarter and the Garden District were allowed back in, with proof of residency and ID. But I came in with two friends, one of whom lived uptown. His home was okay. So I drove from Uptown to Mid City and didn't encounter anyone trying to stop me.

I'll talk about that drive and my home another time ... this is about the little blessing. It's just a simple little story that may not be all that interesting to the reader. But the point of the story is how it made me feel.

By the time I got to my house, my friends and I were feeling pretty melancholy. There were almost no other people on the roads other than the occasional National Guard. The neighborhood I lived in was eerily silent. You don't realize how many sounds a bustling city has in it till they're gone. Everything was like a ghost town.

In a city known for it's lush vegetation and flora, there was barely anything green. Everything was dead and brown. I was in my back yard looking at the piles of debris and dead plant material when I heard a frantic little mewing. In the yard next door, there was a little kitten. She was nervous about us of course, but I was able to risk life and limb and climb over the fence (okay, I pretty much just stepped over it), and she let me pick her up fairly easily. Actually, by the time she overcame her nervousness, she almost climbed right up me.

I fell in love right away. She knew what she was doing...being flirtatious and combining just the right amount of vulnerability with aggressive independence. She completely won me over. I had some cat food with me because I was feeding cats for some friends, and she ate a huge bowl of food. She was obviously ravenous.

But she didn't want to TOUCH the water. I tried to imagine what it must have been like for her. She was just a little kitten; she'd probably only been a couple of weeks old when the floods came. My neighborhood was under 3 - 4 feet of water and she fended for herself somehow that whole time. The waters had only been subsided for a week or so when I found her.

Of course I took her home, though I knew I couldn't keep her at my mom's. A WONDERFUL friend agreed to adopt her, and named her "Miss Pity Paws."

Little MPP was fiercely independent, and I guess independently fierce too. She ate part of another cat (evidently she chewed part of the tail off), and generally wreaked havoc on my friend's house and other cats. But my wonderful friend didn't really tell me about all that till later ... she is sticking it out and is in love with Miss Pity Paws too.

As I was driving back home with this little kitten, I realized the blessing. In the midst of all this loss and sadness, this little kitten managed to stay alive. It's almost like she was an offering to me ... a life in the midst of all the death and destruction. She helped me leave New Orleans that day with something other than sadness.

What does New Orleans feel like right now?

I've had quite a few people ask me what it feels like in New Orleans now. I'm staying with my mom outside New Orleans right now, but I go into the city a good bit. There's a sense of unreality right now. I don't think people have had time to really absorb what's happened here. There's a lot of confusion. At times, we feel hopeful and excited when we see signs of normalcy returning. Then at other times, the sadness and sense of loss and desolation can take hold.

Much of that depends on which parts of the city you go into. If you stay in the French Quarter, Uptown, and the Garden District, it's easier to feel more "normal." But even in those areas, door after door is locked and empty. Homes are dark and unoccupied, and businesses are closed. Some are boarded up still. Others have been cleaned up but aren't reopened.

Many restaurants and shops are only open limited hours. There just isn't the clientele to support them full time, and certainly not the hired help. In the French Quarter, you can still hear music blaring from some doorways. But more of those are sound systems in little dacquiri stores than live bands in the nightclubs. And still...four months later, many of the people on the sidewalks are relief and construction workers.

Driving or walking down the beautiful avenues that used to be shaded by huge majestic live oak trees is also strange. At first, you're not really sure what looks wrong. The homes look pretty...the debris and refrigerators and such have been removed for the most part, and power is on in almost all these areas. Now and then you see signs of damage...the blue roof...the fallen tree trunk that's had most of its branches sawed off. But then you realize that the beautiful old live oak trees that used to reach their arms over the avenues are stripped of so many of their branches. The trees barely meet in the middle anymore...the lovely arches of branches and foliage are thinned out. So then you realize what's wrong. There's more sunshine hitting the streets and homes than there used to be. It's funny how that can make you feel sad.

So the result is surrealistic. You feel like you're in an episode of "Sliders" where you've slipped into an alternate reality.

But it's when you go into other areas that it's harder to feel normal. My home was in Mid City. The flooding and damage there wasn't as severe as the 9th Ward, Lakeview, New Orleans East and other adjacent areas. Some houses are habitable, especially the ones built high enough to escape the water. Others are gutted and may be rebuilt. Still others look as though they simply need to be torn down. But there's a silence in Mid City, and it feels as though this disaster happened 50 years ago and things have just been sitting like a ghost town ever since. On some blocks there are lights on in one or two houses. The people that I've talked to in those areas often feel isolated and lonesome. It's a hard area to be in and not feel depressed. Much of what we see looks as though it may never be restored.

When you go into areas such as the 9th Ward, New Orleans East, and Lakeview however, there's simply no way to feel anything even CLOSE to normal. The devastation is so complete...almost nothing escaped serious damage and almost everything is nearly completely destroyed. The effect is numbing. When I'm in those areas, I'm often just struggling to figure out what I feel. Other times I'm fascinated looking at the pickup truck smashed under a home...both lying destroyed in the middle of the street.

But then, for just a few moments at a time, it hits me and my throat chokes up and I realize that this is all dead. The thousands of people who lived, eat, slept and breathed here every day, have nothing left to come back to. These entire huge areas are a smashed husk that barely indicates the life that used to be here.

We don't know what to think here. There's no way to know what will really happen in the immediate future.

So we're all just waiting to see.

And in the meantime, we've learned something important...and wonderful. "Stuff" is just stuff. That saying "home is where the heart is" takes on such meaning, and we realize that what matters to us the most is each other. Cliches like "the kindness of strangers" can bring tears of gratitude to our eyes.

For me, I've learned that what matters most is what I carry with me. My heart and my love...and my hope and faith. With those things, I can build a life full of meaning and satisfaction...no matter what walls protect me (or don't) and no matter how that life is furnished.

I hope that everyone in this world can learn the value of that, if they haven't already. But I hope we can learn those lessons without the loss and pain that the good people of the Gulf Coast have suffered.