Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry Says Police Will ‘Relocate’ Homeless Encampments Before Super Bowl

Gov. Jeff Landry (R-Louisiana) declared that Louisiana authorities will relocate homeless people living in encampments surrounding the Caesars Superdome, where the Super Bowl will be played next month.

Landry made this announcement in an executive order issued on Jan. 13.

This action will also offer emergency funding to help homeless people living in public spaces around the Caesars Superdome, French Quarter, Interstate 10 and US 90. 

“When I assumed office, I made a commitment to take on difficult issues,” Landry stated in the order. “Rampant homelessness has been a longstanding challenge for Orleans Parish, and I refuse to continue ineffective and costly policies.” 

“With the recent ISIS terrorist attack, the Dec. 8 fire under I-10, frigid temperatures, and the destruction of the riverfront streetcar line, it is in the best interest of every citizen’s safety and security to give the unhoused humane and safe shelter as we begin to welcome the world to the City of New Orleans for both Super Bowl LIX and Mardi Gras,” he added.

Additionally, citizens who have jobs but are homeless will be prioritized for housing vouchers and wrap-around services. Those who are using state and parish resources will be granted bus or train tickets out of state.

The state is also working with local providers. They will help homeless people who require medical or mental health treatment.

Landry’s administration will work to enact legislative reforms, which should produce the framework needed to properly transition people from homelessness to housing in a steady, stair-stepped plan.

Days after this ruling, “relocation notices” from the state appeared at one of the city’s biggest homeless encampments beneath an underpass near the Superdome. 

The notice warned that “everyone must comply” and “failure to do so may result in enforcement actions or legal proceedings.”

State police converged on Wednesday morning on the encampment and told people to pack their belongings into boxes. They said buses would take them to a “transitional center” miles away at a fenced-in warehouse owned by the Port of New Orleans.

People at the encampment had been told they did not have to go to the transitional center but were not allowed to stay in the area and were under threat of arrest, Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness spokesperson Mike Steele told reporters.

Some critics argued that the relocations to the center are a Band-Aid solution. 

According to a letter sent to the governor from 12 community organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, the groups shared “serious reservations about the effectiveness, cost-efficiency and long-term impact of this approach.”

Earlier this month, Landry was criticized after he posted a photo of himself giving the thumbs up at a New Orleans steakhouse following the terror attack on Bourbon street that left 15 people dead.