Public Housing Hoax Mars New Orleans Recovery Summit

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, August 28, 2006 (ENS) - A political jester posing as a federal public housing official today took the podium at a New Orleans event held to plan the recovery of the city and promised to reopen housing units now targeted for replacement by mixed income development.

Activist Andy Bichlbaum, pretending to be Housing and Urban Development "Assistant Deputy Secretary Rene Oswin," a non-existant identity, told hundreds of contractors at the Gulf Coast Reconstruction and Hurricane Preparedness Summit that he would "fix New Orleans, not just for the benefit of a few but for everyone."

But the real Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) called the performance a scam.

In a statement today, HUD said, "It is terribly sad that someone would perpetuate such a cruel hoax and play on the fears and anxieties of families who are desperate to return to their homes."

Andy Bichlbaum of The Yes Men impersonated a Housing and Urban Development official at the Gulf Coast Reconstruction and Hurricane Preparedness Summit today. (Photo courtesy InfoWars)

Bichlbaum is a member of The Yes Men, a small group of culture jamming activists who practice what they call "identity correction." Posing as public officials, they express the idea that government agencies and corporations can act in dehumanizing ways. Their performances are sometimes very convincing, as Bichlbaum's was in New Orleans today where the audience applauded his announcement.

The Yes Men have posed as spokespeople for The World Trade Organization, McDonald's, and Dow Chemical. Their experiences have been documented in the film "The Yes Men," distributed by United Artists, as well as the book, "The Yes Men: The True Story of the End of the World Trade Organization."

The summit at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, Louisiana was held the day before the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed 80 percent of the city and forced the closure of New Orleans public housing. More than 200,000 homes and rental units were severely damaged or destroyed, leaving 780,000 Louisiana residents displaced.

In a further action of the multi-part hoax, a bogus email was sent to the Environment News Service and other news organizations claiming that HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson "admitted that the agency has been headed down the wrong path for the last year."

Volunteers from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks remove debris from the inside of this New Orleans home during spring break. March 13, 2006. (Photo by Marvin Nauman courtesy FEMA)

The false announcement offered "a significant increase in funding, amounting to 3.8 billion dollars in renovation and opportunity-creation contracts in the affected communities."

But despite these false statements, the real HUD said the agency is "working with the local community to redevelop C.J. Peete, B.W. Cooper, Lafitte and St. Bernard public housing developments to make way for a mixture of public housing, affordable rental housing and single-family homes."

"HUD also announced plans for mixed-income affordable housing, homeownership opportunities and services for the former families of Lafitte. The Department has also invested $500,000 to the city's Neighborhoods Rebuilding Plan or charrette process."

The summit, which included speeches by Governor Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, is part of an overall push to renew interest in Louisiana recovery on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

President George W. Bush thanked a crowd in Biloxi for their courage and promised federal government support as rebuilding continues. (Photo courtesy The White House)

"We've committed more than $3 billion in housing grants, and that money is beginning to flow to the homeowners. I know there's some frustration," the President acknowledged, "but I want to appreciate the state working hard to make sure that when that money is spent, it's spent well, and it goes to people that deserve it."

"The checks have begun to roll; they're beginning to move, and the Governor and his staff are on top of it. It's a huge undertaking that's going to require cooperation with government agencies, insurance companies, volunteers, and community leaders," said the President.

"We'll complete the clearing of the wet debris from the Mississippi Sound," President Bush said. "We'll ensure federal money reaches the individuals who need it to build their homes. We'll make sure the schools and libraries are rebuilt better than before, and we'll stand by you as long as it takes to get the job done."

Beauvoir, the National Landmark home of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America, suffered extensive water damage from Hurricane Katrina as well as loss of porches, outbuildings, and the marble entrance. According to the FEMA, Beauvoir is the oldest historically significant house on the Gulf coast. Biloxi, Miss., April 1, 2006. (Photo by George Armstrong courtesy FEMA)

President Bush made no comments to media before or after the dinner.

Tomorow morning Governor Blanco will join President Bush and other officials at a mass commemorating the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans.

At noon Governor Blanco will participate in the City of New Orleans Inter-faith Remembrance Renewal Rebirth Service at the New Orleans Convention Center, scene of so much violence and devastation in the days immediately after Hurricane Katrina.