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from The New Orleans Times PicayuneChange sought for eastern New OrleansBy Leslie WilliamsConcerns about housing large numbers of poor people in the same area -- an often-debated topic during post-Hurricane Katrina neighborhood planning meetings -- resurfaced at an eastern New Orleans community meeting Wednesday night when homeowners voiced objections to government-supported "concentrations of poverty.""All of these people are here because we are committed that we're not returning to the old eastern New Orleans," said Mtumishi St. Julien, a Lake Bullard subdivision homeowner and executive director of the New Orleans Finance Authority.One of the problems affecting the quality of life in eastern New Orleans pre-Katrina was the way in which Section 8 certificates and tax credits for...

From The Daily IberianBY ALICIA DUPLESSIS THE DAILY IBERIANThe United Way will facilitate the Iberia Parish Community Conversation, under the theme of “Solutions to Poverty,” where it hopes to discover ideas from within the community that could help in the race to decrease poverty levels.Executive Director Gloria Girouard said this is the fifth community conversation and that last year hurricanes Katrina and Rita were the topic of discussion. Even with fundraising campaigns, Girouard said money is not what is truly going to make a change.“Throwing money at a problem is not going to solve it,” said Girouard. “It’s the community contributing their ideas that truly makes the difference.” The event is free and open to the public. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at the...