New Orleans Voices

During my recent reporting in New Orleans for a story for Amnesty International on the continuing homelessness and displacement crisis, we saw the stark irony of 42,000 vacant homes, many of them actually in decent shape, juxtaposed with tens of thousands of homeless and under-housed people.

In other words, it was obvious that it is only a lack of resources that is preventing many people from returning to their homes or putting rehabbed homes on the market which could ease the painful affordable housing crunch which one outreach worker Mike Miller called perhaps the worst in the country. See Miller at work and the homeless encampment in downtown New Orleans. Reporting thanks to Amnesty International, with photos and video by Wafaa Bilal.

Kari Lydersen is a staff writer out of The Washington Post midwest bureau and also freelances for publications including The Chicago Reporter and The Progressive. She is the author of three books, including “Revolt on Goose Island” (Melville House Press) released in June 2009. She also teaches Community News at Columbia College and teaches youth journalism in a non-profit program. www.karilydersen.com.

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