I'm from New Orleans and have lived (briefly) across the interstate from one of them and have driven by another numerous times.
The physical plants are so much worse than "unlivable". And then they were damaged by Katrina.
These are rat infested, drug infested, murder infested shanties.
When I lived near one, as soon as dusk came, the gunfire would start and keep up *all night* until dawn. It happened *every night*.
What the city wants to do is tear them down and then develop the new type of public housings where there are multi-income houses, townhouses, etc.
I am, for one, DELIGHTED these blighted, sub-human shelters (not homes) are getting torn down.