Editor’s Note: Some readers have asked why we’re revisiting themes like displacement, gentrification, and housing justice. These are issues that began decades ago. We believe it’s precisely because this has been happening for so long that it demands continued attention. The erosion of New Orleans’ working-class neighborhoods isn’t just history. It’s an ongoing crisis that […]
Editor’s Note: Our first piece, Who Really Owns New Orleans Now, sparked a strong response — not just in readership, but in what readers asked for next: more depth, more evidence, and more answers. While that article was designed as a broad overview of a long-standing problem, it quickly became clear that a deeper investigation […]
They call with urgency, always with the same pitch: “We can buy your house in cash—today.” For New Orleanians who’ve owned their homes for generations—often inherited, often held together through storms, job losses, and rising bills—these offers can seem tempting. But behind the friendly tone is a cold economic strategy: buy low from people in […]
Editor’s Note: Big Easy Magazine has just published Who Really Owns New Orleans Now, Part II: A Deeper Dive—the first in an ongoing editorial series examining housing, ownership, and development in New Orleans. When homes are sold, but no one moves in… when a neighborhood feels emptier even as property values rise… when your neighbor’s […]
It’s a talking point that pops up every time someone dares to criticize gentrification: “Isn’t this what you wanted? Integration? White people moving into Black neighborhoods? Sounds like desegregation to me.” It’s the kind of smug argument that tries to flip racial justice on its head — as if gentrification is just a liberal fever […]
For decades, New Orleans was home to one of the largest concentrations of public housing in the United States. Built to serve low-income families—predominantly Black residents—these housing developments were once viewed as necessary safety nets in a segregated and unequal city. But after Hurricane Katrina, public housing in New Orleans was not just damaged — […]
New Orleans culture is labor. It’s been stitched, played, danced, and shouted into existence by generations of Black, Indigenous, and working-class communities. But today, that culture is being sold back to us—often by people who had no hand in creating it. Culture as Cash Crop Every year, millions visit New Orleans looking for “authenticity.” They […]
New Orleans has always attracted dreamers, hustlers, and opportunists—but in recent years, the city’s real estate market has become a playground for a select few who know how to bend the rules in their favor. While working-class residents struggle to afford rising rents or break into homeownership, a growing class of investors are cashing in […]
On paper, it sounds promising: mixed-use developments, public-private partnerships, promises of affordable housing, jobs, and revitalization. But behind the glossy renderings and developer talking points lies a harsh truth—New Orleans is being systematically repackaged and sold to outside investors while long-standing residents are being priced out, pushed out, and left out of the decision-making process. […]
This wave of speculative purchasing is reshaping the city’s landscape and pushing long-time residents out of the neighborhoods they’ve called home for generations. The Rise of Investor-Driven Real Estate A significant share of New Orleans real estate transactions now involve buyers from out of state or overseas. According to recent national studies, foreign buyers invested […]
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