A New Orleans politician and local realtor, Delisha Boyd, is under heavy fire from 7th Ward neighbors after plans surfaced to sell a small but much-loved community garden on Frenchmen Street. Eviction notices went up on the garden's chain-link fence in mid-May, and within days volunteers and nearby residents had rallied to stop what they are calling a cut-rate giveaway.
Public records show Delisha Boyd Realty went under contract in April to sell the two lots that make up the garden for $15,000 each. Organizers say that price is far below market and even below what they themselves offered. Garden volunteers say they put $90,000 on the table in 2023 for the two lots plus a separate parcel at the corner of Frenchmen and Marais, a site they say produces thousands of pounds of fruits, vegetables and eggs for neighbors each year. The pending transaction, which Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) says followed internal talks about dissolving the nonprofit and which comes in the wake of a personal bankruptcy filing by Boyd earlier this year, has triggered a public pressure campaign and pointed questions about oversight and transparency, as reported by NOLA.
Why the nonprofit's status matters
Neighborhood Housing Services, which holds title to the garden lots, lost its federal tax-exempt status for failing to file required reports in 2025. That revocation appears in ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer, and organizers say the loss of status makes it harder to raise money or structure a purchase that would keep the land in community hands.
What City Hall says
Mayor Helena Moreno's office is now digging into a central question: can the mayor actually veto this sale. Spokesperson Jonah Gilmore told reporters that "the city is currently reviewing the extent of the mayor’s authority in this matter, but Mayor Moreno’s position is clear: if she has the authority to approve or disapprove this sale, she will not approve it." That stance leaves the garden's fate in the hands of legal analysis and possible city council action, according to NOLA.
Community response
Opponents responded quickly once word of the deal spread. They launched a public petition along with a social media push, collecting signatures and posts that call on City Hall to step in. Much of the organizing and debate is visible in local online spaces such as Reddit, where residents are sharing updates and urging others to join advocacy and fundraising efforts while they explore legal options to keep the space in community control.
What to watch next
City and nonprofit officials now have to decide whether the sale can be blocked or unwound and whether Neighborhood Housing Services will face additional scrutiny as it sheds assets. Neighbors say they are banking on political pressure and public attention to force a more transparent, competitive process if the garden lots are moved out of nonprofit stewardship.
