NEW ORLEANS – The City of New Orleans has demonstrated they know how to move quickly when something is a priority. Last week, they proved they have the ability to align resources and commit hundreds of millions of public dollars to get things done. We are seeing active movement and alignment around the Omni Convention Hotel, funding conversations for a new City Hall, investment in the Municipal Auditorium redevelopment and the Lindy Boggs Hospital. However, the Housing Trust Fund (HTF), approved by 75% of voters to directly address our housing crisis, has yet to see that same level of urgency, clarity, or execution.
Housing advocates are calling on Mayor Helena Moreno, the City of New Orleans, and the HTF Advisory Committee to execute what the voters mandated when they approved the Housing Trust Fund: distribute 2% of the budget to the fund so that relief can begin to flow to residents.
The HTF Advisory Committee Meeting took place Friday, April 17, and the public was encouraged to demand the following:
- Adopt and publish a 90-Day HTF Deployment Plan
Demand the Mayor’s Office, City Council and Housing Trust Fund Advisory Committee implement a public 90-day action plan that includes clear timelines for receiving and releasing funds to NORA and Finance New Orleans, in order to begin deployment of funds
- Mandate HTF Alignment for All Housing-Related Investments
City Council should require any publicly funded housing, resilience, or insurance-related initiative:
- Be formally reviewed for alignment with the Housing Trust Fund
- Include a written explanation if it operates outside of HTF
- Be reported alongside HTF strategy and outcomes
“New Orleans residents are facing rising rents, insurance instability, and displacement,” said Andreanecia Morris, president/chairwoman of the Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance. “The need for affordable housing is not theoretical. It is immediate, visible, and growing every day. If we can structure, approve, and advance large-scale investments for tourism infrastructure, and private developments, we can and we must do the same for housing stability that impacts so many renters and homeowners. The question is not whether the city can act. The question is who the city is choosing to act for?”