As New Orleans works to close its widening budget deficit, city officials are warning that some of the most vulnerable residents could be hit hardest.
At a City Council hearing Tuesday, Homeless Services Director Nate Fields said looming budget restraints could jeopardize the progress made in helping people move off the streets and into stable housing.
Fields pointed to the city’s low-barrier shelters as a critical lifeline now at risk. The shelters allow people to stay temporarily, for instance, with their pets, while they wait for permanent placement…