Housing Authority of New Orleans

Housing Authority of New Orleans
Name	Housing Authority of New Orleans
Formed	1937
Jurisdiction	New Orleans, Louisiana
Headquarters	New Orleans City Hall
Chief1 position	Executive Director
Parent agency	United States Department of Housing and Urban Development

Housing Authority of New Orleans

The Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) is a public housing agency serving New Orleans, Louisiana created during the New Deal era to administer federally funded public housing and voucher programs within the Orleans Parish jurisdiction. HANO has been involved with major redevelopment projects, disaster response efforts including Hurricane Katrina (2005), and collaborations with entities such as the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, City of New Orleans, and private developers on initiatives spanning public housing, mixed-income communities, and voucher administration.

History

HANO was established in 1937 amid the Great Depression and the implementation of Wagner-Steagall Housing Act policies, aligning with early public housing projects like Desire Projects and Guste Homes developed in mid-20th century New Orleans. During the Civil Rights Movement, HANO-managed sites intersected with desegregation efforts related to federal directives from figures such as Lyndon B. Johnson and institutions like the United States Supreme Court in decisions affecting housing discrimination. In the late 20th century, HANO engaged in urban renewal programs connected to the Urban Renewal initiatives and worked alongside agencies including the Federal Housing Administration and local entities like the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority.

Governance and Organization

HANO's governance structure has included a board of commissioners appointed by the Mayor of New Orleans with oversight interactions involving the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and legal review by the United States Department of Justice on fair housing matters. Executive leadership transitions have involved interactions with political figures such as mayors Ray Nagin and Mitch Landrieu, and federal administrators including HUD Secretaries like Shaun Donovan and Ben Carson during federal oversight periods. Organizational units have coordinated with local institutions such as the New Orleans City Council, Orleans Parish School Board, and nonprofit partners including Providence Community Housing and GNO, Inc. for policy implementation.

Properties and Programs

HANO has owned and managed public housing sites including B.W. Cooper (C.J. Peete) Homes, St. Bernard Projects, and Fischer Housing Development, while administering federal programs like the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program and the HOPE VI redevelopment initiative. Redevelopment projects have partnered with developers involved in mixed-income models comparable to projects in cities like Atlanta, Georgia and Chicago, Illinois, integrating services coordinated with organizations such as Catholic Charities USA and Habitat for Humanity. HANO programs have interfaced with agencies like the Louisiana Housing Corporation and initiatives supported by philanthropic entities including the Kresge Foundation.

Katrina and Post-Katrina Recovery

The impact of Hurricane Katrina (2005) forced HANO into extended closure of properties, evacuations linked to Superdome (New Orleans) sheltering efforts, and federal emergency responses coordinated with Federal Emergency Management Agency and Army Corps of Engineers. Post-Katrina recovery included HUD-mandated plans, involvement in programs modeled on Choice Neighborhoods and collaborations with the Urban Land Institute to rethink public housing, while litigation and consent decrees influenced redevelopment timelines involving the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana and advocacy groups such as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Controversies and Legal Issues

HANO has faced controversies involving allegations of mismanagement cited by HUD leading to federal oversight and receivership, as well as legal actions connected to tenant relocation, racial equity disputes adjudicated in courts where civil rights organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP have been active. High-profile disputes have involved elected officials such as Ray Nagin in the broader post-Katrina governance context and federal investigations coordinating with the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Consent decrees, monitoring by HUD, and settlement negotiations have shaped policy changes and restructuring proposals involving stakeholders like local advocacy groups and national housing organizations including the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Funding and Partnerships

HANO funding streams have combined federal appropriations from HUD programs including Community Development Block Grant allocations and Section 8 voucher funding with state support via the Louisiana Recovery Authority and private capital mobilized through public–private partnerships with developers, investors such as Enterprise Community Partners, and nonprofit intermediaries including Local Initiatives Support Corporation. Grants and awards from philanthropic institutions like the Ford Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have complemented financing from entities such as the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program administered by the Internal Revenue Service and state housing tax credit allocations managed by the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency.

Category:Public housing in the United States Category:Housing in New Orleans