About HousingNOLA
In early 2014, the Foundation for Louisiana’s TOGETHER Initiative convened an affordable housing group of residents and non-profits to develop strategies for improving housing policies and increasing equity in New Orleans. The result was HousingNOLA: a community-led housing process that would seek address the housing needs of New Orleans over ten years. The Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance (GNOHA) was chosen by the group to manage the initial HousingNOLA process, assisted by fair housing advocates, developers and City officials – in partnership with civic, neighborhood, business, and philanthropic leaders. GNOHA is a collaborative of home builders and community development organization advocating for the preservation and production of affordable housing.
HousingNOLA is now an ongoing partnership between the community leaders, and dozens of public, private, and nonprofit organizations working to solve New Orleans’ affordable housing crisis. When HousingNOLA was created, the data indicated the need for 33,600 additional affordable units in the city by 2025 and the data clearly shows that wages have not come close to mirroring the dramatic rise in housing costs. Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath destroyed over 275,000 homes and disrupted countless lives, but New Orleanians are resilient. For the 10 years immediately after the Hurricane, passionate citizens worked with non-profit, community-based organizations to rebuild their homes and regenerate their city in a more equitable fashion. New Orleans is evolving into a very different place from what it was before Katrina. Though its population is still below pre-Katrina levels, New Orleans is one of the fastest growing cities in America – according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Evidence shows the growing population is not just the result of returning residents, but an influx of college educated, young adults.
Vision and Goals
HousingNOLA is not just a 10-year plan, but a 10-year process.
Before Katrina, New Orleans was a rarity. A city where almost everyone was “from here,” deeply rooted in their neighborhoods, traditions and history. As the city rebuilds, many long-time residents are worried about the economic effects newcomers will have on the city – especially in the area of keeping homes affordable. While renewal continues and the threat of another hurricane lingers in the back of people’s minds, these are no longer the issues that will determine the future of this city when it comes to housing. New Orleans now has to deal with changing demographic realities, diminishing funding sources, and an inadequate supply of housing. The challenge is, can New Orleans evolve to meet the housing needs for a broad range of lifestyles, ages and incomes while also retaining its traditions and distinctive way of life?
The HousingNOLA 10-Year Strategy and Implementation Plan (launched in December 2015) sets a new standard for housing policy by:
- Examining the state of the housing and community development sector in New Orleans
- Recommending how New Orleans can leverage and secure new resources concerning affordable housing
- Identifying current policies and those that need to be created for a more equitable New Orleans that provides housing options for all
- Benchmarking progress for the 10-year strategy in the housing sector.
In order to create a benchmark of where the City of New Orleans has been, where it is currently, and where it’s going – HousingNOLA seeks to achieve the following:
- Preserve existing housing and expand the total supply of affordable rental and homeownership opportunities throughout the City of New Orleans
- Understand where displacement is happening in New Orleans and prevent future displacement
- Enforce and promote fair housing policies throughout New Orleans
- Encourage sustainable design and infrastructure for all New Orleanians
- Increase accessibility for all residents, including special needs residents
Though the housing issues we face are diverse - whether it’s skyrocketing rent, soaring insurance costs, substandard rental conditions, or for many of our residents, barriers to obtaining housing – these problems are all interrelated and must be addressed as a whole. HousingNOLA represents an opportunity to define the housing challenges and develop strategies to address those issues over 10 years. Rather than just being a written document, HousingNOLA is an ongoing initiative to collectively remind New Orleans and its elected officials of the issues we face and our pledge to maintain a plan of action. It guides policy makers in determining what funding and policy for housing should look like, based upon what New Orleanians want. Since responsibility of this plan goes beyond the realm of our elected officials, this plan will live on even as mayors, city councilmembers, and other elected officials come and go. It’s our job to hold our leaders accountable to the recommendations we make in HousingNOLA.
Andreanecia M. Morris
Andreanecia M. Morris serves as the Executive Director for HousingNOLA, an ongoing partnership between the community leaders, and dozens of public, private, and nonprofit organizations working to solve New Orleans’ affordable housing crisis. HousingNOLA’s mission is to provide a road map to maximize scarce government resources, increase non-traditional resources, and assist the private sector in making strategic and equitable choices. Prior to her role as Executive Director, Morris spearheaded the development of the HousingNOLA 10-year Strategy and Implementation Plan—a comprehensive and radical strategy guided by data and community input to address inequity issues in housing. Morris and the HousingNOLA team have been selected to manage a process that resulted in a homelessness and housing strategy for Nashville, Tennessee to ensure that its recovery from COVID and the economic crisis will be equitable and prioritize housing. Winston Salem, North Carolina and the Napa Valley, California are also working to adopt the #PutHousingFirst philosophy.
A native of Edgard, Louisiana, Morris began working to support creation of affordable housing opportunities financed with public and private resources in Metro New Orleans after graduating from Loyola University New Orleans with a BA in Communications & Sociology. Morris also holds a MA in Community Development Policy and Practice from the University of New Hampshire Carsey School of Public Policy. After Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters receded, she focused on housing policy and development, implementing programs that created 500 first time homebuyers, deploying $104.5 million soft second subsidy in Metro New Orleans, and providing supportive services for approximately 5,000 households—homeowners who were struggling to rebuild and renters who required wrap around services.
Morris was lead organizer for Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance (GNOHA) when it started in 2007 as a loose coalition of community development nonprofits who resolved to rebuild the City of New Orleans. GNOHA members and partners to developed approximately 88,000 housing opportunities between 2006 and 2015. Morris now serves as President/Chairwoman for the GNOHA Board of Governors, which supports and advises the efforts to preserve and create of affordable housing for people within region and places a special emphasis on the needs of the most vulnerable in society. Morris also chairs the HousingLOUISIANA Alliance Network and is a board member of National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), Finance New Orleans (FANO), Grounded Solutions Network, Propeller and Energy Wise Alliance. She also serves on the Environmental Career Worker Training Program Advisory Board, Prosperity Now Policy Advisory Committee and Capital One Community Advisory Committee.
HousingNOLA’s Housing All Investment Strategy is a comprehensive and radical plan guided by data and community input to address systemic inequity issues in housing which led to the voters of New Orleans establishing a housing trust fund that will dedicate 2% of the city’s general operating fund exclusively towards affordable housing.
Gambit Weekly named Morris New Orleanian of the Year for her role in HousingNOLA’s innovative strategy in 2017. In 2021, Consumer Federation of America (CFA) named her one its five Consumer Champions. Most recently, the University of New Hampshire chose to celebrate and spotlight Morris’ work through its 2023 Sustainability Awards program. Morris was one of five alumni honored by the program which recognizes significant multi-year body of work in the professional or civic lives of alumni. In 2025, Biz New Orleans named her as a Women to Watch and for the fifth year in a row Morris was named to the Biz New Orleans New Orleans 500 for 2026.
HousingNOLA and GNOHA
HousingNOLA was facilitated, and then later incubated by the Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance. Since 2015, HousingNOLA has grown into a platform to link community members and neighbors with policymakers, developers, and others who are shaping the face of New Orleans. As a result of this effort, HousingNOLA crafted the city’s first-ever 10-Year Strategy and Implementation Plan.
With the implementation plan now in place, HousingNOLA continues to facilitate opportunites for:
- local leaders to listen to the community;
- the community to inform and educate policy makers on their housing needs; and
- bringing diverse groups of people together to address the changes and challenges to affordable housing thoughout New Orleans.
Funders
HousingNOLA is made possible through support from the Ford Foundation, Greater New Orleans Foundation, JP Morgan Chase Foundation, Capital One, Energy Foundation, University of Pennsylvania, acting through its Robert A. Fox Leadership Program, Foundation for Louisiana, Edward Wisner Donation, and the people of New Orleans.
