HUD Secretary Donovan Denies Community Participation
On the week of March 2, 2009, Shaun Donovan, the newly appointed Secretary of HUD, visited the Gulf Coast to assess the progress of post-Katrina rebuilding. Although the Secretary met with private developers, public housing residents were not permitted to meet with him, even after repeated requests. He and New Orleans authorities made sure to keep his whereabouts a secret from those whose communities were recently demolished as a result of HUD policies in post Katrina New Orleans.
Donovans actions violated one of the key components of the human rights to housing and to development – community participation. According to human rights standards development must regard the opinion of community members as of equal value to those of analysts, academics, planners, and the private sector. Participation by community members must be meaningful, active and well integrated into development planning.
While Shaun Donovan never met with May Day to discuss the future of public housing and the daily hardships their community faces, May Day is undeterred and is determined to take its message of equitable rebuilding for all to Washington D.C. Join May Day New Orleans (http://www.maydaynolahousing.org) and its allies across the country with the Campaign to Restore National Housing Rights (http://restorehousingrights.org) by participating in the fight for the human right to housing.
A Rada FIlm Group Production
Producer: Michèle Stephenson
Videographer & Editor: Jon Stuyvesant
www.radafilm.com
www.milkproductsmedia.com