Report from the 9th Ward - June 1, 2006

Back into the Lower 9th Ward upon arrival in New Orleans. Nothing much here has been touched since the storm hit. Things have been mostly left where they fell, save for a few houses having been bulldozed.




Neighbourhood residents are still scattered throughout the region and many have not had a chance to even start the process of recovery.



Much of the city looks as though it has not been touched. There are still piles of cars under the Interstate 10 overpass and much of the city remains in rubble.



The middle and upper class communities of New Orleans, those who had proper insurance and who could afford to rebuild, are slowly getting back to normal but huge swaths of New Orleans that were once home to communities which were vibrant yet underfunded are still in ruins.

Any rebuilding or recovery that has taken place in these areas has happened largely thanks to volunteer groups from across the United States, with seemingly minimal, if any, government support. So what little has been done is a testament to the strength of the communities that once lived here and complete strangers who want to see them rebuilt.

As the diaspora returns to the city, many to find their neighbourhoods in ruins and crime has been steadily on the rise. There have been 52 murders so far this year, with a city population of around 200,000 people. All New Orleans public school teachers have been fired, leaving only private “charter” schools running. Thus many of the city's under-served communities only have access to private education.

The National Guard have been called in to patrol the streets once again but it is the New Orleans police who are being deployed in the “hot spots” despite their obvious inability to control city neighbourhoods such as the Midtown.

For the next several months, we will be doing what we can to provide support for local organizations, and canvass the region in hopes of discerning needs. Then we will be using what resources and connections are available us to communicate these needs to the wider population which is getting no news of the recovery effort (or lack thereof).

- Geoffrey Young