New Orleans Department of Sanitation conducts encampment cleanups under public-health authority with at least 72 hours posted notice, property storage for 30 days, and coordinated UNITY of Greater New Orleans outreach beforehand.
Operating under Code Chapter 30 (Health and Sanitation) and consent-decree-influenced protocols, the city posts 72-hour notice at any encampment scheduled for cleanup. UNITY of Greater New Orleans (the HUD-designated Continuum of Care lead) and the Travelers Aid Society provide coordinated outreach, shelter referrals, and transportation in advance. Personal property not voluntarily removed is bagged, photographed, and stored at a city facility for 30 days; biohazard items are destroyed. The city avoids cleanups during hard freezes, hurricanes, and extreme heat advisories under the Office of Homeless Services protocols.
Failure to post 72-hour notice or to store recovered property invalidates the cleanup under federal Lavan v. Los Angeles precedents, exposing the city to Section 1983 damages and injunctive orders.
New Orleans, LA
New Orleans has no citywide sit-lie ordinance unlike Los Angeles or San Francisco, but obstructing sidewalks in the Central Business District, French Quarter...
New Orleans, LA
The New Orleans Office of Homeless Services funds low-barrier bridge shelters, the Low Barrier Shelter near Earhart Boulevard, and Rapid Rehousing placements...
See how New Orleans's encampment sanitation rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.