back under way

Hi everyone, thanks for all of the responses. This week, I visited the bridge to find that the population has drastically decreased. I would estimate that there was may be a total of 30 people under the bridge when I was there (about 2pm).... just two months ago, there were hundreds under the overpass. I asked around, and it seems to be the same story. Many folks are being arrested, and others are being given hotel rooms by UNITY.

After visiting the bridge-folk, I headed to the French Quarter. At the Riverwalk, there are several locations where homeless hang out. I met four men sitting under some trees near the Holocaust Memorial statue. There was a total of about 12 homeless in that area. I will call the four who I talked to Charles, Peter, Larry and John. John had been homeless for a few days at a time, long ago... but this recent stint on the streets has lasted him a couple of months. Charles originally came from Mississippi, where he was living with family. He ended up homeless in New Orleans with his guitar, so he plays blues and country songs on the Riverwalk to passers-by. He played a couple of tunes for me, and I was pretty impressed. Peter didn't say much... Larry didn't say much to me either. He waits for tourists to come by and gives Mardi-Gras beads to their children, hoping that the parents will feel obliged to hand him some money.

During my lengthy conversation with Charles and John, I learned that the homeless on the River and in Jackson Square do not receive the aid from UNITY and other aid organizations that the folks under the bridge are getting. They stated that there is a LOT more crime under the bridge and that they stay as far away from it as possible... so much so that they visit the St. Joseph Rebuild Center (which is located near the bridge settlement) quite rarely. They also talked about the "gutter punks (a population of semi-homeless teenage kids who wandered into the city following the hurricane)." Charles and John stated that these gutter punks are causing problems for the homeless community with law enforcement. It seems that the folks on the Riverwalk are pretty chill and try to stay out of trouble as much as possible. Many sleep in other locations than the Riverwalk, at night. They mentioned a location at the Jax Brewery (an isolated patio), as well as some locations in neighboring parking lots. They just have to be careful, as the cops will frequently sweep these locations.

After listening to several songs performed by Charles on his guitar, I headed to Jackson Square, where I knew there was a group of homeless.... only to find that they were all gone. I chatted with a couple of folks who seemed to be Jackson Square regulars, and they affirmed my suspicions: NOPD had just performed a sweep of the Square, the night before. I asked where all the homeless went, and they both answered "jail." It will be a week or so before they all come back, so I plan to revisit the Square next weekend, or so.

I am putting together a study, from which I hope to gather much-needed data about the homeless population of New Orleans, so there will be more frequent postings, as I go out and gather more background information and seek out more homeless.