Moving Housing Assistance Office Only Hurts Those Who Need Help Most
Now that HANO has moved its Housing Choice Voucher (Section office to Algiers, those who need help the most will likely have a more difficult time getting it. Residents who live on the east bank of Orleans Parish will now have to traverse—many by bus—to file paperwork or apply for vouchers. Here at The Tribune we simply cannot resign ourselves to the notion that anyone who receives government assistance should just be glad to get it. The reality is that programs like Section 8 should be easily accessible as well. With the importance that should be placed on repopulating areas on Orleans’ east bank, it just makes more sense to us to keep the office there. Individuals who need help paying for rent quite likely lack reliable transportation as well. Many of the individuals who apply for Section 8 vouchers are among the thousands of families left without a place to call home when the city’s housing developments were torn down. We can’t help but conclude that moving the Housing Choice Voucher office to the west bank was done to make the process as inconvenient as possible considering that the office was already in a recently renovated building owned by HANO in the Gentilly area. That’s what we say, but as always we want to know what cha say? Did HANO make a good decision when it moved the Section 8 office to Algiers? Or does the move make it harder for those who need help?
I am not sure why HANO chose to move the Section 8 office to Algiers. Was it financially motivated? Regardless of the reason, I agree that the move will create an obstacle for most of the people who require Section 8 assistance.
I absolutely agree this is a terrible move. I believe the move was based more on a convenience for the workers that live on the westbank. The “vast” majority of the residents HANO serve lives on the east bank. This move makes no sense if the purpose is to serve the most applicants. This move is like moving city hall to Algiers. It is totally stupid. I believe the applicants and the greater community should address this with the new governing board. Who is the new director or executive?