New Orleans, Louisiana 11 November 2021 – Today the French Quarter Management District (FQMD) released a Needs Assessment of Street Homelessness in the French Quarter. This assessment was funded solely by FQMD and performed by the Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans in coordination with the French Market Corporation, which funded a similar assessment within their jurisdiction in and near the French Quarter. This is the first full survey ever undertaken to ascertain the total number of individuals living on the streets of the French Quarter, to understand their demographics, and identify which assistance services they qualify for.
Stephen Caputo, 2022 FQMD Security & Enforcement Committee Vice-Chair, said “I am extremely grateful to the FQMD Board who approved the funding for this all-important study. I hope that the data collected will be of great value to the City of New Orleans as they endeavor to work on solutions for the many unhoused individuals living in the French Quarter.”
The resulting data shows that there is an average of 143 individuals sleeping in the neighborhood nightly and that 76% of individuals surveyed reported not having met with any case manager, social worker, or outreach specialist in the past six months. The major discoverables from the assessment include the need to provide case management in the French Quarter, meet people where they are, to connect individuals with housing, and identify opportunities for increasing public bathrooms in the area.
Jane Cooper, 2021 Vice-Chair and 2022 Chair of the FQMD Security & Enforcement Committee, noted “The quality of life for French Quarter residents is impacted every day by our unhoused population. We look forward to using the data in the survey to craft meaningful and lasting interventions to impact the situation”.
FQMD will use the extensive data collected in this Needs Assessment to help inform stakeholders and lead discussions for prioritization of investments that can be most impactful in assisting the French Quarter unhoused population. The Needs Assessment can be found on FQMD’s website.
The FQMD Board of Commissioners represent a diverse group of stakeholders who live, work, own property and/or businesses in the French Quarter, all of which are vested in protecting and improving the vitality, security and infrastructure of this gem of a neighborhood that supports the livelihood of our region’s residents, the City and the State.
The FQMD works to:
- Improve public safety, foster quality experiences, and enhance quality of life within the District
- Improve commercial and residential vitality
- Strengthen the District as a vital component of Louisiana’s tourism industry
- Aid in the preservation of the District’s architecture, quaint charm, and tout ensemble
- Beautify the District’s appearance
If you would like more information about the French Quarter Management District, please contact, Karley D. Frankic at 504-323-5801 or kfrankic@fqmd.org