Dozens evicted from low-income units at American Can complex

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NEW ORLEANS -- Michael Esnault and his partner Anne Tucker have lived in the American Can Apartments building for the past six years, but they’ll soon be former tenants – through no choice of their own.

They recently found a note taped to their door notifying them that they had until the end of December to vacate their apartment.

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Dozens of families are losing their leases at the Mid-City apartment building as the operators phase out all of their subsidized and low-income units.

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The American Can was built in part with government subsidies, including $29 million in tax-exempt bonds.

Those bonds required the owner to keep 20 percent of the units for affordable housing for a minimum of 15 years.

That requirement expires at the end of January.

Those tenants are now losing their leases.

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"The rent is totally outrageous," Esnault said. "There's no cap on it. I mean, the people who live in New Orleans were born here. We won't be able to stay here anymore."

"If you're making $733 a month in (Supplemental Security Income), it used to be you could get a $400-, $450-, $500-a-month apartment, but you can't anymore in the city," Adams said. "There is very little affordable housing."

Attorney Randy Opotowsky who represents ACV told WWL-TV seven residents are losing their leases by the end of January. He said the rest of the low-income leases will be phased out over time.

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