St. Bernard Projects
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The St. Bernard Projects are one of the Housing Projects of New Orleans. Located in the city's 7th Ward, the complex was built over a few decades, beginning in the 1940s and has the distinction of being the largest housing project in the city. Like most public housing developments, it was not a very safe complex but by the standards set by other facilities in the city, like the Magnolia Projects, it was one of the city's safer projects until planned closures began and residents of 'rival' housing projects were moved into the St. Bernard.
It has been closed since Hurricane Katrina, much to the dismay of residents and activists.
Survivors Village, a tent city created by residents of New Orleans housing projects, was established on June 3, 2006 to call attention to what participants and supporters say are violations of the UN International Policy on Internally Displaced Persons.
St. Bernard had 12 slayings in 2003.
[edit] Reopening
Regarding public housing, Congress has demanded the Department of Housing and Urban Development show solid plans for the housing developments or the new Democratic Party-controlled Congress will order the immediate restoration and reopening of all units that were occupied antediluvian (before the flood) on August 1, 2007. On March 21, 2007 the United States House of Representatives passed a bill blocking any demolishing of any housing development until H.U.D. show solid plans for them and has informed H.U.D. that they must contact all former residents of the city's four largest developments and inform those residents that they can return to the developments on August 1, 2007 and the buildings must be livable by October 2007.
The St. Bernard Project is a non-profit group established to rebuild homes destroyed by Katrina.
