of Greater New Orleans

Working To End Homelessness,
Bringing New Orleans Home

 
Contributions will support
the work of UNITY
in its mission to coordinate
community partnerships
to prevent, reduce,
and end homelessness.

Tax-deductible donations
can be sent to

UNITY of Greater New Orleans
2475 Canal Street, Suite 300
New Orleans, LA 70119
(504-821-4496)
and will be acknowledged.
UNITY's Taxpayer
Identification Number
is 72-1222911.

News and Publications
UNITY in the News
The Times Picayune, July 14, 2009. Aid Extended to Storm Recovery.
The Times Picayune Article
 
The Louisiana Weekly, July 13, 2009. Homeless Bill a Victim of 'Retribution' says Author.
The Louisiana Weekly Article
 
New Orleans City Business, July 8, 2009. Jindal Homeless Veto Takes Some by Surprise.
City Business Article
 
American Prospect, June 3, 2009. Obama is in Fact Stepping Up, But Steps Still Missing.
American Prospect Article
 
ABC News, May 31, 2009. Time Running Out for Katrina Trailer Dwellers.
Files related to this article:
ABC News Article
 
The Washington Times, May 31, 2009. FEMA Deadline Burdens Katrina Victims
The Washington Times Article
 
Times Picayune, May 30, 2009. Trailer Deadline Looms for 2,000 Still Displaced Since Hurricane Katrina.
Files related to this article:
Times Picayune Article
 
BBC World Service Radio, May 28, 2009. FEMA Trailer Eviction Deadline.
Files related to this article:
BBC Interview with Martha Kegel
 
LA Times, May 6, 2009. Post-Katrina Trailer Residents Fearful as Eviction Day Looms
Files related to this article:
LA Times Article
 
USA Today, May 4, 2009. Homelessness Up as Families on the Edge Lose Hold
Files related to this article:
USA Today Article
 
NPR Story, April 30, 2009. Residents in Limbo as FEMA Trailer Deadline Looms
NPR Transcript
Files related to this article:
 
Times Picayune, March 12, 2009. Grants to Help Homeless Families
Times Picayune Article
 
Times Picayune, March 9, 2009. Cabinet Duo Hopes to Lift City
Files related to this article:
Times Picayune Article
 
Times Picayune, March 5, 2009. Obama Aides Vow To Speed Recovery
Times Picayune Article
Files related to this article:
 
New Orleans City Business, January 12, 2009. The Invisible Population
Files related to this article:
City Business Article
 
WWLTV News Coverage, December 2, 2008. Working Poor Struggle to Stay Off the Streets.
WWLTV News Video
 
CNN, August 31, 2008. Getting the Homeless out of New Orleans
Files related to this article:
CNN News Article
 
WDSU News Coverage, July 21, 2008. UNITY Leads Successful Fight for 3000 Rent Vouchers for Katrina Homeless and Disabled; Speaker Pelosi and High-Level Congressional Delegation Visit UNITY
WDSU News Video
 
Times Picayune, July 18, 2008. Social Workers Clear Camp for the Homeless
Files related to this article:
Times Picayune Article
 
New York Times Editorial, July 8, 2008. Katrina's Most Vulnerable
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New York Times Article
 
USA Today, June 17, 2008. Katrina Survivors Deserve Better Than Mattresses Under I-10
Files related to this article:
USA Today Editorial
 
New York Times Editorial, June 9, 2008. Helping the Katrina Homeless.
Files related to this article:
New York Times (doc)
 
New York Times, May 28, 2008. Resources Scarce, Homelessness Persists in New Orleans
Files related to this article:
New York Times Article (doc)
 
Times-Picayune, May 24, 2008. Under the Water Line, Homeless Linger
Files related to this article:
Times Picayune Article (pdf)
 
Times Picayune, April 24, 2008. Group Works to Save Squatters
Files related to this article:
Times Picayune Article
 
USA Today, March 17, 2008. New Orleans' Homeless Rate Swells to 1 in 25
Files related to this article:
USA Today Article
 
Times-Picayune, February 28, 2008. Executive Director responds to news article
"Together, community is helping the homeless. " Executive Director from UNITY of Greater New Orleans responds to the Times-Picayune article, "New Orleans Homeless Plan Changes Direction" (Feb 21, 2008)

Times Picayune Article (pdf)
 
WWL News Coverage of the Claiborne Encampment Survey Press Conference, February 28, 2008
WWL News Video
 
CNN, February 14, 2008. Anderson Cooper, New Orleans' Homeless
Transcript of Anderson Cooper's 360 Degrees coverage of New Orleans' Homeless
Files related to this article:
Transcript.pdf
 
NPR Story: December 21, 2007, New Orleans Homeless Man Finds his Family,
by Joseph Shapiro
Listen to All Things Considered... "Earlier this month, 69-year-old Jean heard her son's voice for the first time since he had left home. She heard him on National Public Radio's All Things Considered, in a story about homeless people living in Duncan Plaza, a park in front of City Hall."
 
NPR Story: December 10, 2007, Move-Out Date Looms for New Orleans' Homeless,
by Joseph Shapiro
Listen to All Things Considered... "On Tuesday, the state is planning to begin building a fence around a city park that has become an encampment for homeless people. They'll have until Dec. 21 to move out, and that may not be enough time for groups that help the homeless to find them permanent housing."
 
Times-Picayune, December 8, 2007. Many homeless need support
Letter to the Editor in response to the Times-Picayune article "Homeless community shrinks when 88 are given places to live," Metro, Nov. 22.

 
Times-Picayune, December 8, 2007. State delays Duncan Plaza closure
"Times Picayune Article
 
Times-Picayune, December 4, 2007. Demolition scheduled to begin next week
Times Picayune Article
 
New York Times, December 3, 2007. New Orleans Hurt by Acute Rental Shortage.
New York Times Article
 
Times-Picayune, November 22, 2007. Homeless community shrinks when 88 are given places to live
Link to Article
"New Orleans' homeless population dipped by 88 people on Wednesday when a local agency, sick of waiting for state and federal help, picked up the tab for their housing.

"One of the lessons of Katrina is that nonprofit leaders need to step up and take risks," said Martha Kegel, who heads Unity."
 
Times-Picayune, Monday, June 18, 2007. Fire puts somber face on city's housing crunch.
Files related to this article:
Times Picayune Article
 
Christian Science Monitor, March 28, 2007. Surge in homeless hits New Orleans
Christian Science Monitor Article
 
Times-Picayune, March 25, 2007. Housing program to help disabled
Files related to this article:
Times Picayune Article
 
New Orleans City Business, February 27, 2007. $12M grant to help N.O. area homeless
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City Business Article
 
Times-Picayune, February 2, 2007. N.O. homeless, disabled housing facility is unveiled
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Times Picayune Article
 
Times Picayune, January 23, 2007. Survey to count N.O., Jeff homeless
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Times Picayune Article
 
New Orleans City Business, January 14, 2007. UNITY to honor homeless advocates
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City Business Article
 
Times-Picayune, December 3, 2006. Hope House gives clients just that
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Times Picayune Article
 
The Baton Rouge Advocate, November 20, 2006. Lack of shelter endangers New Orleans' homeless
Files related to this article:
Full Text of Article (.doc)
 
Times-Picayune, August 26, 2006. Qatar adds more treasure for N.O.
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Times Picayune Article
 
New Orleans City Business, August 26, 2006. Qatar gives $2M for N.O. homeless
Files related to this article:
City Business Article
 
New Orleans City Business, August 26, 2006. UNITY of Greater New Orleans to offer permanent homes for disabled
Files related to this article:
CIty Business Article (.doc)
 
Times-Picayune, August 10, 2006. LIVING NIGHTMARE Ferocious demand for homeless shelters keeps groups busy
Files related to this article:
Times Picayune Article
 
Times-Picayune, June 5, 2006. Supportive housing could save lives.
UNITY Governing Board Chair Brenda Richard-Montgomery and UNITY Executive Director Martha Kegel make the case for Supportive Housing in this Op-ed piece.
Files related to this article:
Times Picayune Op-ed
 
New Orleans City Business, March 13, 2006, Home, Street Home
Files related to this article:
City Business Article
 
New Orleans City Business, October 31, 2005. Red tape ties New Orleans nonprofit for homeless
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City Business Article
 
New Orleans City Business, October 10, 2005. City blamed for botching N.O. evac plan
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City Business Article
 
New Orleans City Business, October 10, 2005. N.O. loses 10,000 homeless people to uncertain fates
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City Business Article
 
Statement regarding Duncan Plaza ReHousing Initiative
Martha J. Kegel, Executive Director, Dec. 19, 2007
Files related to this article:
Statement regarding Duncan Plaza ReHousing Initiative
 
Presentation to City Council Housing and Human Needs Committee
Presentation on August 20, 2007
UNITY Executive Director Martha Kegel, Director of UNITY Welcome Home Angela Patterson, and Public Policy Director Lucinda Flowers made a presentation to the New Orleans City Council Housing and Human Needs Committee, where they discussed the current homelessness crisis in New Orleans.
Files related to this article:
View Full Presentation (.ppt)
 
UNITY Publications
Duncan Plaza Homeless Re-Housing Initiative
Presentation by UNITY of Great New Orleans Executive Director Martha Kegel on Duncan Plaza Homeless Re-Housing Initiative, 11/21/07 - 12/21/07
Files related to this article:
PowerPoint Presentation
 
Findings from the Claiborne Encampment Survey
UNITY of Greater New Orleans Press Conference to release findings from the February 19, 2008 Claiborne Encampment Survey. The survey was designed to identify housing and health care needs of people sleeping in the Claiborne Encampment.

Claiborne Encampment Survey (PowerPoint)
 
Update on Duncan Plaza Homeless Re-Housing Initiative
Presentation on Duncan Plaza Homeless Re-Housing Initiative: A monumental humanitarian achievement unprecedented anywhere in America! 11/21/07 - 2/28/08

Latest Duncan Park Information (PowerPoint)
 
A UNITY Public Policy Action Agenda, October 21, 2005
UNITY is committed to ending homelessness and bringing New Orleans home. Our mission is to:
· Provide services to those who are homeless – those families and individuals who were homeless prior to Katrina, as well as those who have lost their homes as a result of Katrina,
· Advocate for effective public policies to bring home and rebuild the lives of all low-income people in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish, and
· Work to prevent new homelessness as we rebuild our community.

UNITY’s Public Policy Action Agenda lays out the following:
1. Guarantee the Right of Return
2. Develop an Adequate Supply of Affordable and Permanent Supportive Housing
3. Develop a Responsive and Effective Social Infrastructure
4. Assure Local Workers Are Given Well-Paid Jobs to Rebuild Our Community
5. Insist on Public Accountability, Democracy, and Inclusion of Poor People and Other Vulnerable Populations in Decision Making
6. Create a Fund to Meet the Needs of Low-Income Katrina Victims and Non-Profit Social Services Organizations
7. Assure the Safety of All New Orleanians From Another Hurricane
8. Assist the Families and Friends of Those Who Are Missing or Who Lost their Lives.
Files related to this article:
Full Text of Public Policy Action Agenda (.doc)
 
UNITY Press Releases
For Immediate Release: February 9, 2007. Affordable Housing Database Launched
With the launch of its new UNITY HousingLink Web-based initiative, UNITY of Greater New Orleans will connect renters to safe, decent, and affordable housing in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes. UNITY HousingLink is a community service to bring Greater New Orleans home.

HousingLink is an Internet database developed by UNITY, a collaborative of 60 agencies working to prevent and end homelessess, in partnership with the Apartment Association of Greater New Orleans. The goal of UNITY HousingLink is to assist low-income people to locate affordable housing as part of the rebuilding of Greater New Orleans. UNITY Housing Link will assist in the rebuilding effort by making affordable rental properties available to employees of the hospitality, tourism, convention, healthcare, and entertainment industries that are key to the recovery of our community. The resource will also play a role in helping the elderly and people with disabilities find affordable housing.

“Together, we can work to assure that our community’s workers and their families, the elderly, and people with disabilities find safe, decent, and affordable places to live,” said UNITY Executive Director Martha Kegel. “This program will help us connect those looking for affordable housing with landlords offering affordable properties. This is the only database in the state that is specifically designed to assist low-income people.”
Files related to this article:
Full Text of Press Release (.doc)
 
For Immediate Release: March 30, 2006. UNITY annonuces plan to end homelessness in the new New Orleans, Honors exemplary people and programs
UNITY will announce a plan to end and prevent homelessness in the new New Orleans through the development of of Permanent Supportive Housing for people with disabilities at its Annual Meeting on Friday, March 31, 2006 at 12 noon at the Holy Angels Conference Center, 3500 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans.
Files related to this article:
Full Text of Press Release (.doc)
 
For Immediate Release: October 31, 2005. Bring New Orleans Home.
UNITY for the Homeless called on the Mayor’s Bring New Orleans Back Commission Monday to develop plans to guarantee the right of return for all New Orleanians regardless of socio-economic status, race, disability or age. UNITY is committed to bring New Orleans back and bring New Orleans home.
Files related to this article:
Full Text of Press Release (.doc)
 
For Immediate Release: October 24, 2005. Bring New Orleans Home
UNITY, a consortium of non-profit and governmental homeless housing and service agencies in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish, has developed an eight-point Public Policy Action Agenda to be presented to members of the Mayor’s Commission to Bring New Orleans Back Monday. UNITY is committed to bring New Orleans back and bring New Orleans home.
Files related to this article:
Full Text of Press Release (.doc)
 
Annual Reports
UNITY 2004 Annual Report: This Little Light of Mine
Files related to this article:
Annual Report 2004: This Little Light of Mine (.pdf)
 
Bring New Orleans Home Toll-Free Hotline 1-888-899-4589