NEW ORLEANS —
Helen Madison and her four children spent a relaxing day at City Park Sunday, enjoying the nice weather. It was a brief escape from an otherwise stressful life.
“We’re living out of trash bags,” Madison said.
She’s been sober for two years and three months now, but she and her family are homeless. Instead of one place, they bounce around from relative to relative when they can.
“I have four kids, and they need to be housed so they could be stable and get their education,” she said.
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Stories like Madison’s are a sad reality. And homelessness is the first problem the New Orleans City Council’s new Quality of Life Committee will try to help tackle.
Councilman Joe Giarrusso, who created and will lead the committee, said it was formed to try to work on issues that might fall into any number of areas the council oversees but might still be overlooked.
“The problem is a lot of these issues really fall between the gaps. Let's take homelessness for example. Is it a governmental affairs issue? Is it a community development issue? Is it a transportation issue? Is it a public works issue?” Giarrusso said. “Some of these issues that are really citywide don't have a natural place to go (in a committee).”
The committee will meet at least quarterly and soon, new software could help determine what issues will be addressed.
“I think that's another piece we need to look at as well, not only the anecdotal 'I got stopped at a neighborhood meeting' or on the street or at the grocery store or got the email but also, what does our data look like?” he said.
The first meeting of the Quality of Life Committee is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday in the City Council chamber.