State officials began clearing a nearby homeless encampment on Wednesday in anticipation of three Taylor Swift concerts that could draw about 150,000 people to New Orleans' Superdome this weekend. .
Louisiana State Police said about 75 people living in tents under the overpass will be relocated about two blocks away.
Advocates said the move would hinder progress in finding long-term permanent housing for those affected.
Other unsheltered people living in the historic, tourist-dependent French Quarter area will also be moved to the same location, officials said.
A spokesperson for Gov. Jeff Landry said the move was taken to address homelessness and safety issues in conjunction with upcoming concerts and February's Super Bowl.
“We are committed to helping New Orleans perform at its best on the world stage as we prepare to host Taylor Swift and Super Bowl LIX,” Landry communications director Kate Kelly said in a statement to local media. said. .
Kelly later emphasized in a statement to The Associated Press that the trip was a short distance and there were safety concerns.
“Only the most dangerous blocks, where homeless people regularly walk through high-traffic streets, are closed,” she said.
Initial plans to dismantle the encampment near the dome were revealed on Monday. It's unclear when plans were made to move to a location about two blocks away.
City Councilwoman Lesli Harris, whose district covers the area, said she and housing advocates were told the move would take place Thursday.
“Wednesday morning, they suddenly came here and told us this,” Harris said.
Martha Kegel, executive director of Unity of Greater New Orleans, a nonprofit that seeks permanent housing for unsheltered people, said the camp is not as safe as advocates initially feared. He said it would be better to relocate the camp than to disband it.
But she said it remains an unnecessary and harmful effort and a waste of state and federal tax dollars earmarked for sheltering the homeless.
Kegel said many of the people in the camps have mental illnesses and are distrustful of authorities and those trying to help them.
“Some people were scared and left, and that's not OK,” she said. “Because all the work we did to assess them, document their disabilities, and work with them to develop housing plans has now gone to waste.”
Among those taking action Wednesday was Terrence Cobbins. He said he was taking a break from packing his belongings when he was told to move because a concert was scheduled.
“It's not like they haven't done that to other people before,” he said. “Why Taylor Swift?'' He said he was frustrated by the confusion and said “there's nothing I can do about it.''
City Council President Helena Moreno issued a statement calling for stronger collaboration between the state and city to address homelessness.
Kegel said she should have contacted her agency, noting that the concert dates were announced months in advance.
“They could have accomplished what the governor wanted in a humane and reasonable way, rather than just pushing people a few blocks away or scattering them,” she said.
There was no indication that Swift or the NFL, which four years ago selected New Orleans to host the 2025 Super Bowl, were involved in the decision to move camp.
Emails seeking comment were sent to Swifts representatives and the league Wednesday afternoon.
