Controversial ‘Two Saints’ complex approved after low-income housing included in plans – By Anthony McAuley & Jessica Williams (NOLA) / Feb 6 2020
The New Orleans City Council on Thursday approved a controversial $44 million “co-living” and entertainment complex in the Warehouse District after developer Marcel Wisznia agreed to dozens of new provisions, including setting aside some of the units for low-income renters.
The “Two Saints” project, to be located at the corner of St. Joseph Street and St. Charles Avenue, envisions a novel setup where renters would have private bedrooms but share common areas, like kitchens and living rooms.
The project, which was first proposed more than three years ago, was designed to create accommodations in a fast-gentrifying area of the city that would be affordable for people with incomes ranging from $38,000 to about $60,000 a year.
While it has had the support of Mayor LaToya Cantrell and former Mayor Mitch Landrieu, the project divided affordable housing advocates.
The Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center had opposed the development, with Executive Director Cashauna Hill writing to City Council members to say projects like Two Saints risked being empty gestures by developers while doing little to address the city’s lack of affordable housing.
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