As New Orleans works to close its widening budget deficit, city officials are warning that some of the most vulnerable residents could be hit hardest.
At a City Council hearing Tuesday, Homeless Services Director Nate Fields said looming budget restraints could jeopardize the progress made in helping people move off the streets and into stable housing.
Fields pointed to the city’s low-barrier shelters as a critical lifeline now at risk. The shelters allow people to stay temporarily, for instance, with their pets, while they wait for permanent placement.
“That flexibility has been pivotal,” Fields said. “When people don’t have to choose between housing and their animals, they’re more willing to come indoors and start the transition process.”
But with funding and staffing under pressure, Fields warned the city could see encampments grow again, especially during the winter months, when more unhoused people migrate south or are dropped off by neighboring parishes.
“We’re already feeling the outreach squeeze,” he said. “If resources dwindle, it will absolutely make the situation worse.”
The director also linked encampment growth to rising crime, noting that homeless individuals are often victims, not just perpetrators.
Fields said his office is working closely with city leaders to minimize potential fallout, but he hopes the state will step in with added support; both in resources and in holding other parishes accountable for relocating their homeless residents into Orleans Parish.