[StBernard] Judge sides with housing advocates against St. Bernard Parish

[Westley Annis]

Judge sides with housing advocates against St. Bernard Parish

by WWLTV.com

wwltv.com

Posted on March 2, 2011 at 2:14 PM

ST. BERNARD, La. --  A federal judge extended a consent decree in favor of
housing advocates who have sued the parish over a plan to block a
mixed-income housing development.

The housing advocates asked for the extension "due to concerns over the
Parish's apparent attempts to block the construction of four mixed-income
housing developments by Provident Realty Advisors," said a statement from
Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center.

Judge Helen Berrigan ordered the extension, saying if allegations against
the parish true, they "indicate that the Parish is prepared to deviate from
normal procedures in an effort to harass and delay Provident's ongoing
construction."

In addition to the consent decree, the housing advocate said the St. Bernard
Parish Council was working to rescind two ordinances, which the group
considered "racially discriminatory."

"The first ordinance designed a burdensome Permissive Use Permit process
concerning landlords' ability to rent single-family homes. The second
ordinance all but eliminated multi-family housing as an allowed use in the
Parish zoning code," said a statement from the housing advocates.

The group claims the ordinances discriminate against minorities attempting
to rent homes in St. Bernard Parish.