A facility hailed as an alternative to jail and hospital stays for intoxicated people — the vast majority of whom were homeless — has shuttered its doors as city officials cut costs to claw out of a budget crisis.
The Sobering Center, a 25-bed facility on St. Ann Street and North Claiborne Avenue run by Odyssey House Louisiana, closed on Jan. 15 after its $1.45 million budget was axed in Mayor Helena Moreno’s 2026 spending plan.
Supporters of the facility say that it helped get people safely off the streets and often served as a first stop to longer-term treatment. A Moreno spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment, but has said that the city needs to trim costs to avoid a projected $222 million budget deficit this year inherited from Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration…