In the name of “affordable housing”, the City of New Orleans built homes for poor and working class Black families on top of a toxic landfill named Agriculture Street Landfill.  That neighborhood in the Desire area, is now deemed the second highest cancer causing neighborhood in the entire state of Louisiana.

The federal government had already deemed the area a Superfund site, deemed too toxic for human life to live on. However, despite the residents taking every action Many of the residents have been diagnosed with cancer or another illness that can be traced back to the toxicity of the soil in their neighborhood. Considering the city allowed contractors to build and sell homes on a former waste dump, without the knowledge of those who purchased the homes, the residents are calling on the mayor to support a fair & just relocation.

Six mayoral administrations have been called on to remedy this situation to no avail. Now that thousands of residents have either been pushed out, forced out due to Katrina, or have died as a result of living on top of over 100 carcinogens, with at least 49 of them cancer causing, there are only 54 household remaining.

The current mayor, Latoya Cantrell, was asked about residents of Gordon Plaza who are demanding a fully funded relocation during the mayoral forum hosted by Indivisible NOLA on July 18, 2017. She pledged to work to use the city budget and resources "to make our city better, to ensure our people live in safe and healthy environments”.

In 2021, the Residents of Gordon Plaza have still not had resolve with a fully funded relocation.

“Many people here have lost loved ones to cancer and several face health concerns that they believe are related to the toxic contamination that they are sitting on top of,” said Marilyn Amar, a homeowner living in Gordon Plaza.

The residents demand a buy out, that consist of a fully funded relocation (for the full amount due to them should their homes have been built and sold in 2021 at replacement, without loss of value due to being built on toxic soil by the City of New Orleans), and moving expenses, to honor their right to live in healthy homes of their choice, without having to incur any debt at all as a result of moving expenses.