Promises and pitfalls: A Delphi approach to understanding the effects of mixed income housing in New Orleans post Katrina

Mixed-income housing has been touted as one of the answers to New Orleans' public housing problems following Hurricane Katrina. In a Delphi study among key experts in New Orleans, housing advocates, sociologists, disaster management professionals and lawyers were asked to determine the ethical issues surrounding public housing policy as New Orleans works to rebuild.

This study served to determine the level of consensus (and dissensus) among experts in regard to the ethics of current public housing activities in New Orleans; experts were asked to predict future living situations among those individuals who were residing in public housing units in New Orleans prior to Hurricane Katrina and to note issues of environmental injustice among all residents in the area.

According to advocates, mixed-income communities have developed out of the demolition of larger, more traditional housing units; this has occurred while experts note the ethical concerns surrounding right of return and housing for those in need. Therefore, future decisions for advocates, professionals, policy makers, and hopefully, residents of public housing themselves, will be to determine how to provide safe, affordable housing to those in need. Experts note that a major concern revolving around public housing issues in New Orleans is the lack of public housing resident involvement in decision making. Future involvement of residents in such decision making will also need to include those individuals and families who evacuated during Hurricane Katrina and are still waiting to return home.