NEW ORLEANS, LA – In response to the letter from the Department of Housing and Urban Development suspending Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s ability to sign funding contracts, Councilmember Lesli Harris issued the following statement

NEW ORLEANS – On Friday, September 5, 2025, the Governmental Affairs Committee convened to discuss federal funding concerns for the Housing Authority of New Orleans following the suspension of Mayor LaToya Cantrell from participating in procurement and non-procurement transactions with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

NEW ORLEANS, LA - Councilmembers JP Morrell and Helena Moreno are standing with the Lower 9th Ward community and stating their opposition to the Alabo Street Grain Terminal through a City Council resolution that will be heard at next week’s meeting. Under the agreement made between the Port of New Orleans and Sunrise Foods International, negotiated without any community input, a 10-car train would transport grain through residential neighborhoods with little plans for pest and dust mitigation.

Neighbors have expressed concerns regarding the potential negative impacts of the Alabo Street Sunrise Food grain terminal, including but not limited to: environmental concerns, traffic and safety issues, community displacement, and lack of community engagement. The resolution expresses the need for Sunrise Foods to move to an alternative location. 

NEW ORLEANS, LA - Today, District E City Councilmember Oliver M. Thomas Jr. issued the following statement:

“As a city that just recently observed the 20th anniversary of Katrina, we know what it means to see the National Guard on our streets. We’ve lived through that, and it was a scary time. What we learned then and must remember now is that safety comes from partnership with our community, not policing over it. We need partnerships like we do for special events, and that’s not the case now. The message this sends is that this is being done to our people, not with us.

NEW ORLEANS, LA - Today, District E City Councilmember Oliver M. Thomas Jr. issued the following statement:

My thoughts and prayers are with the residents of the Gentilly Ridge Apartments who were impacted by this morning’s devastating five-alarm fire. I am deeply grateful to the New Orleans Fire Department, New Orleans EMS, the American Red Cross, the Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, the Office of Homeless Services & Strategy, and all of our first responders for their swift and courageous actions to save lives and prevent further tragedy.