NEW ORLEANS — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) has been chosen as one of nine Public Housing Authorities across the nation to participate in the new Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Mobility Demonstration program.
The Agency will receive an additional allocation of 74 vouchers with an estimated value of $1.1 million from HUD to provide low-income families with access to high-opportunity communities. HANO will also receive an additional $4 million to offer mobility-related services to families that encounter barriers in accessing housing choice.
“Studies show that place matters, and access to educational opportunities and other resources create lasting impacts on life outcomes for children,” said Dominique Blom, General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing. “The Mobility Demonstration provides families the choice to live where they want to live to raise their children. We are thrilled to announce this new program, which will remove barriers to opportunity-rich communities for families across the country.”
“This demonstration grant will allow us to expand upon our current efforts to provide greater housing choice for families,” said HANO Executive Director Evette Hester. “HANO will continue to engage housing advocates and private property owners to aid in the removal of barriers faced by low-income families in search of affordable housing opportunities, connecting them with direct access to services and amenities needed to cultivate healthy communities.”
HUD awarded a total of $45.7 million in Housing Mobility Grant funding to increase the number of HCV families with children living in opportunity neighborhoods. The HCV Mobility Demonstration grant will assist participating PHAs in housing voucher recipients in low-poverty neighborhoods with high-performing schools and other community supportive services. In addition to providing mobility-related services, participating PHAs will partner with other housing agencies in their region to implement administrative policies that will promote housing mobility, increase landlord participation, and assist families in moving across PHA jurisdictions through portability.
For more information on HANO’s HCV program, visit www.hano.org/Housing/HCVP.
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