Calling on New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, New Orleans City Council, and all Mayoral and City Council candidates to support people-first hurricane policies, endorse PSL's Cut the Check! Campaign

We, the undersigned institutions and organizations, are united in our commitment to advancing dignity, safety, and justice for the working people of New Orleans. As we approach the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we affirm our commitment to fighting for a liveable future for the working people of our city.

Every hurricane season, thousands of New Orleanians are left on their own, lacking adequate resources for storm preparation, evacuation, and post-impact repairs. Climate change is making storms more frequent and intense every year. Many New Orleanians cannot afford to undertake the preparations needed to ensure the safety of their families and homes. 22% of New Orleanians live below the poverty line, and amongst Black New Orleanians, about 30% live in poverty, more than double the national rate. The costs associated with evacuation – including lodging, gas, food, and lost wages – are out of reach financially for many families. After storms, our communities are often left stranded-- waiting days or weeks for power to be restored, while living among shuttered stores, lingering floodwaters, debris, downed power lines, and broken tree limbs. FEMA checks often take months, or even years, to arrive.

The city’s current policies are inadequate to properly address the crises that we are facing as a community. It is we, the working people of New Orleans, who produce all of the wealth, financially and culturally, that our city generates. We need a city that responds to our needs and prioritizes our health and safety. 

As organizations rooted in the New Orleans community and committed to the well-being, safety, and dignity of our residents, we collectively urge the City of New Orleans to take immediate and decisive action to implement people-first hurricane policies, and to endorse the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s Cut the Check! campaign. Our demands are the following:

Cut the Check!

Spend the remaining $600 million in unspent FEMA funds held under the Joint Infrastructure Recovery Request (JIRR) program by 2027. These funds must be used immediately on infrastructure projects that benefit the people of our city and increase our resilience to storm impacts.

$600 million dollars would go a long way in updating and repairing infrastructure such as drainage pumps, sewage infrastructure, street repairs, and more. Low-income and more flood-prone areas of the city should be prioritized. These funds were allocated for the people and must be used without further delay to protect the lives, homes, and communities of New Orleanians. 

Increase Funding to Local Emergency Preparedness Efforts

Strengthen the city’s ability to respond to natural disasters by increasing the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP)’s budget by at least 10%. This increase is essential to prepare for intensifying hurricanes, rising floodwaters, and other climate-related threats. NOHSEP should also expand its efforts to reach immigrant communities, regardless of their legal status, to ensure the equitable distribution of resources and ensure that non-English speakers receive timely notices in their native language.

Expand the City-Assisted Evacuation Program

Ensure equitable access to evacuation by expanding the number of city-assisted evacuation points by 50%—from 17 to at least 26—with a focus on low-income neighborhoods. Furthermore, the program must be authorized to activate in response to Category 2 storms, not just Category 3 and above. Due to climate change, storms intensify more rapidly in the Gulf; a Category 2 hurricane, for example, could develop into a much stronger one overnight. Furthermore, given the federal cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service, the integrity of local preparedness efforts become doubly important. Therefore, an expansion of the city-assisted evacuation program is a necessary adaptation to changing conditions in the Gulf and to the federal budget.  

Ensure Real Transparency and Accountability

Build public trust through accessible and honest communication about disaster preparedness, emergency plans, and progress on infrastructure projects. Residents must be included in the decision-making process through opportunities for meaningful public comment and community oversight.

New Orleans cannot afford another disaster exacerbated by government inaction, disorganization, or neglect. We know too well that those most at risk—working-class families, elderly residents, people with disabilities, and low-income communities—are often the last to receive the resources and protections they deserve.

We join the chorus of community members demanding a city government that acts proactively and with compassion. As organizations committed to equity, public safety, and the right to live with dignity, we proudly endorse the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s Cut the Check! campaign and call for the full adoption of its demands.

Sincerely,