NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 17 - A federal judge approved a settlement on Tuesday in a lawsuit over the first demolitions of New Orleans homes ruined by Hurricane Katrina, after city officials agreed to give homeowners advance notice.
A group of advocates for improved housing in damaged neighborhoods filed suit against the city last month, demanding that homeowners be notified before any demolitions.
Homes, or remains of homes, were set to be bulldozed with no warning to the owners, the advocates said; officials countered that they simply wanted to clear piles of debris that posed safety hazards.
From the start, officials agreed that homeowners should be allowed to challenge demolitions, though they made exceptions for homes deemed threats to public safety.
But shifting lists and timetables increased the emotional temperature, prompting the lawsuit.
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