Our Process
The need for a comprehensive housing plan in New Orleans has become very clear. 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.
That’s why we created HousingNOLA. It’s our opportunity to define the housing challenges and develop strategies to address those issues over the next 10 years. Rather than just being a written document, HousingNOLA is an ongoing initiative to collectively remind ourselves and our elected officials of the issues we face and our pledge to maintain a plan of action.
HousingNOLA establishes goals and strategies to inform the creation of affordable housing options for all New Orleans residents. It will guide 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 next leaders accountable to the recommendations we make in HousingNOLA.
Inclusiveness and community participation in developing the housing plan are the two most important factors in determining whether HousingNOLA is a success. Everyone has an interest in the final outcome of this housing plan, and that is why we have worked so hard to ensure that everyone could participate. The diversity of participation is reflected at every level of the HousingNOLA process.
The HousingNOLA Executive Committee is the Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance (GNOHA), which manages the plan and process; the Foundation for Louisiana, the major financial contributor; the City’s Office of Housing & Community Development; and the co-chairs from HousingNOLA’s Working Groups.
The Leadership Board sets the wider table of stakeholders in our city, both the usual participants in civic engagement as well as the “unusual participants”. This includes Public Officials, Community Leaders, Neighborhood Associations, Cultural Bearers, Financial Institutions, Policy Developers, individuals representing Education, Philanthropy, Hotel and Lodging, Restaurants, Transportation, Green Building, Criminal Justice, and Special Needs Advocacy Groups, as well as Non-Profits and Real Estate Developers. Foundation for Louisiana and the City’s Office of Housing and Community Development are playing an active role in this group as well.
Then there are three Working Groups, where participants come together based on their expertise and turn the ideas of the Leadership Board into action. Each working group is made up of two co-chairs that are elected by their members.
The Data Working Group sets the stage, informing both community members and policy makers of where we are currently and where we are headed with housing.
The Policy Working Group makes the policy recommendations that will make up the backbone of HousingNOLA.
Most important is the involvement of residents like you, through the Community Engagement Working Group. Members are responsible for informing residents about the creation of HousingNOLA and asking them to share their housing needs and priorities. This input helps shape the policy recommendations presented in the final plan.