Louisiana Governor Jeff Landy ordered the displacement of a New Orleans homeless encampment near the Caesars Superdome with less than a week’s time to prepare and make space for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour performance on Oct. 25.
Swift’s performance in New Orleans was announced more than a year ago, but the notice to vacate appeared less than a week before the performance. The state-sanctioned location provided after the displacement lacked basic health necessities for the people, such as toilets or trash cans.
The outcry in response was largely due to the short notice and lack of communication with the council of that district and the health department and homeless services, which have been working for months to build trust and rehouse these people, who have been on track to be housed by Thanksgiving.
“State Police and Wildlife Agents were sent into the camp without warning to get people out there,” according to a statement by Council Member Lesli Harris. Additionally, personal goods, identification documents and other important paperwork in the encampment were discarded with little notice.
This displacement for a one-weekend performance has undone months of efforts in trust-building and progress for the health department and homeless services in the area and has negatively impacted the people now living in this new encampment. New encampments have formed, but at the loss of many people’s important documents and support systems.
Harris’ council, along with other city departments, are working to mitigate the damage, but the Director of Homeless Services Nathaniel Fields states that the city doesn’t have the resources to keep the new encampment secure.
