Thirty-four houses in New Iberia are set to be demolished or boarded up in the near future.
Wednesday night, Mayor Freddie DeCourt laid out the plans for how the process would work in phases.
Some of the houses have been vacant for years.
Now, those who live in the neighborhoods say they’re beyond ready for action to be taken.
“It’s not safe for the kids. You’ve got drug dealers and all sorts of things going on here,” Rose Rochelle said.
Rochelle says she has lived on Emery Lewis Avenue for years. She says a house on her street needs to be demolished because of the illegal activity that goes on inside the vacant property.
Her councilman, Marlon Lewis, says he couldn’t agree more.
“For one, public safety. If I live here, I’m a homeowner, or I’m a good tenant, and I go to work from nine to five, and I come home that they don’t have people hanging in the yard at the next house. They don’t have vagrants in and out the house, animals,” Lewis said.
There are fourteen houses set to be demolished and twenty houses set to be boarded up in hopes that illegal activity will end.
Councilwoman Sherry Guidry says she also has homes in her district on the list, and she cannot wait to get the process started.
“When we board up these particular dwellings, it helps reduce crime. It also shows the citizens that we are doing something about the properties, and it shows that we care about public safety for our citizens,” Guidry said.
“Get rid of it. Tear it down. Let’s go,” Rochelle said. “It’s time for it to be safe like it used to be years ago.”
Possible demolitions:
- 806 Buckeye Street
- 807 Bush Alley
- 505 Dore Alley
- 625 Emery Lewis
- 1405 Iberia Street
- 221 Johnson Street
- 720 Mary Street
- 107 Monterey Street
- 133 Reynolds Street
- 604 Rosalie Street
- 711 Rosalie Street
- 218 Rosier Street
- 203 School Alley
- 312 Wayne Street
Properties to be boarded:
- 1306 Corinne Street
- 626 E. St. Peter Street
- 525 Silver Street
- 105 Field Street
- 709 Ann Street
- 826 Bank Avenue
- 506 Silver Street
- 1505 Howard Street
- 644 E. Pershing Street
- 111 Robertson Street
- 678 Malain Street
- 103 Doris Street
- 726 Rosalie Street
- 723 Cherokee Street
- 705 ½ Courrege Street
- 508 Julia Street
- 206 Henry Street
- 534 Lafayette Street
- 221 Johnson Alley
- 634 Hebert Street