Activist groups storm New Orleans HUD office

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This week marked the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of the Gulf Coast region.

In the aftermath, levees that had been neglected for years were breached. Water completely flooded parts of New Orleans; killing hundreds of people, and leaving thousands of internally displaced refugees homeless.

But some New Orleans-area housing projects that are in a condition suitable for residents to return, remain closed. One of those is the St. Bernard’s Parish housing project.

This afternoon, several community organizations including the Miami group, Power U, took over the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administrative office in New Orleans, demanding that the St. Bernard’s Parish housing development be opened.

WMNF spoke with Power U Director Denise Perry, who was one of the 40 people camped inside the HUD offices after armed military vehicles surrounded the building.