Advocates are unhappy when Gov. Landry orders a homeless eviction in New Orleans ahead of Swift shows

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Gov. Jeff Landry on Tuesday (Oct. 22) gave nearly 75 homeless people living on streets near Caesars Superdome a few days to leave ahead of this weekend's Taylor Swift concerts.

City officials and homeless advocates were dissatisfied and called on the governor to stop his planned raid by Louisiana State Police Troop NOLA. They said at an outdoor news conference that the continued closure of homeless camps near the Super Bowl LIX site must be a safe, fair and honest process, but insisted that was not the case.

“I understand that Taylor Swift is a huge icon,” said Nate Fields, the city’s director of homeless services and strategy. “Welcome them to town. But I don't think we should hide our homeless population for another concert or game.

“We need the partnership of our state partners. We don’t need to force these people to move on.”

The announced eviction would clear the large homeless encampment near Calliope Street and Loyola Avenue, as well as smaller groups of homeless people in the Central Business District and French Quarter. Fields said his department has helped house 167 people through the city's decommissioning process since last year. Along with other organizations, Fields said 594 people were helped.

Kate Kelly, Landry's communications director, said in a statement: “Governor Landry understands that the biggest issue facing the city of New Orleans right now is the homelessness crisis, and he is working with LSP and local officials to address this issue.” “As we prepare for the city to host Taylor Swift and Super Bowl LIX, we are committed to ensuring New Orleans looks its best on the world stage.”

Fields disagreed with the effort.

“I don’t care about the Taylor Swift concert,” he said. “I care about every single person who stands behind me and lives out here every day. You can't take a day off. You can't afford to go to a concert. You can’t get a meal for another hour.”

Sergeant. Kate Stegall, a spokeswoman for the Louisiana State Police, said the NOLA force is expected to conduct its raid on Thursday (Oct. 24).

“The Louisiana State Police understands the distress facing the homeless community in New Orleans,” she said in a statement. “As part of the Troop NOLA initiative, Soldiers work to speak to the homeless community, learn about their gaps and obtain accessible resources to help them overcome these challenges.

“Furthermore, it is important to note that living on government property is illegal. Soldiers address security concerns to ensure both the well-being of the uninhabited community and the integrity of public infrastructure.”

State Senator Royce Duplessis (D-New Orleans) stood alongside city officials and advocates for the homeless on Tuesday.

“The way this is being proposed is incredibly disruptive,” Duplessis said. “And not just disruptive for the individual, but disruptive for the entire collective work that has been going on for a long time. We can't just put a band-aid over it and cover it for a few days and think we'll solve the problem.

“This must be done with a certain level of sensitivity, care, coordination and expertise. Just make a top-down decision and make a decision unilaterally and say, 'We want the area cleared'…We know from past experience that will ultimately do more harm than good.”

Councilwoman Lesli Harris issued her own statement on social media, saying the LSP root action would “totally disrupt the city’s interagency process.”

“If we undo their work, we will be ashamed,” Fields said.

Martha Kegel, executive director of UNITY of Greater New Orleans, said she believes the raid will have unintended consequences.

“As they disperse, they will form new homeless camps, and those camps will likely be closer to businesses and closer to people's homes,” Kegel said. “Many of them don’t trust easily and we may only have one chance to get them to accept accommodation.”

Kegel said this could re-traumatize many who are already struggling with mental illness and derail ongoing efforts to provide housing.

“It will all be in vain because we won’t be able to find her again,” she said.

Donna Paramore, CEO of the Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans, said, “It sends the message that they mean nothing to us. That a concert means more, that a game means more than a human life.”

Melissa Autin said she was told Monday she had to pack her things.

“It's dehumanizing. It's pressure, you know. It causes anxiety,” she said. “Overwhelming, really. But shocking because you don’t know where you’re going to go.”