It isn’t hard to see signs of the growing homelessness epidemic around New Orleans. A lack of affordable rental housing, instability in the job market, insufficient mental health care for those in need, and a long list of other reasons are behind the unfortunate trend. WWL’s Tommy Tucker spoke to Martha Kegel, Executive Director of UNITY of Greater New Orleans, who is on the front lines of helping the unhoused in the Crescent City.
“There are individual characteristics that make one more inclined to fall into homelessness,” Kegel emphasized. “It’s like a tragic game of Musical Chairs … the people who don’t get chairs tend to be people with disabilities and people who are historically discriminated against. People who are victims of domestic violence and those with disabilities are highly over-represented in the homelessness population, unfortunately,” added Kegel. She also points to a lack of movement in the minimum wage even in the face of growing costs across the board economically as a major factor pushing many into homelessness.
“New Orleans by some measures has the biggest wealth gap of any major city in the country,” Kegel told WWL listeners. That, she says, is a major reason the region needs to look for a mixture of new ideas to help the unhoused re-integrate into working life. Kegel says the organization takes an individual approach to each person they help to house. While some may need less assistance to transition, some may need mental health care or other support. Giving that help to those most in need allows them a chance at a “normal” life, Kegel emphasizes … something that many who have been helped by UNITY never thought they could achieve.