Affordable Housing
Overview
Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP)
The Housing Choice Voucher Program operates and manages an Annual Contributions Contract (ACC) to assist low-income families with rental payments through the Section 8 Program. The Department develops Section 8 service initiatives, conducts programmatic analysis, and engages in budgeting, financing, communications, and counseling functions to assist program participants.
Public Housing
Much of HANO’s housing stock was destroyed in 2005 as a result of Hurricane Katrina. After assessing the damage, HANO undertook a massive redevelopment program to replace and modernize its housing communities. With cost estimates exceeding $1 billion to merely renovate the 1940’s-era buildings, HUD authorized funding for the total demolition and recreation of the four main public housing sites - Lafitte, St. Bernard, B.W. Cooper and C.J. Peete (known as “the Big Four”)- along with the continuation of previously started redevelopment activities at Desire, Fischer, St. Thomas and Guste. Four companies have signed on to redevelop the Big Four. Columbia Residential is redeveloping the St. Bernard, Providence Enterprise is redeveloping Lafitte, while KBK Enterprises and Central City are the developers for B.W. Cooper and C.J. Peete respectively.
Portability
The Housing Choice Voucher Program's Portability Program is the process that allows an eligible Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) applicant or participant to move anywhere in the United States where there is a housing agency operating the federal HCV program.
Project-Based Voucher Program
The Housing Choice Voucher Program's Project-Based Voucher Program subsidizes units in HANO-owned and privately owned properties throughout New Orleans. Tenants residing in Project-Based Voucher Units pay 30 percent of their income for rent and utilities. The balance of their housing costs is paid by the HANO. Tenants in Project-Based Voucher units are assisted as long as they live in the unit and continue to qualify for the program. To receive assistance for a PBV unit a family must first be on the PBV property’s waiting list. HANO manages each of the waiting lists. A family may only apply to be placed on PBV waiting lists if the waiting list is open. Click here for a list of all the PBV properties and their waiting list status. To apply for an open waiting list, please complete the PBV waiting list pre-application.
Community Choice Demostration
The Community Choice Demonstration helps families with Housing Choice Vouchers find homes in Opportunity Areas in Orleans Parish. These are neighborhoods in various neighborhoods in Orleans Parish that have historically been difficult for families with vouchers to move into, either because they are outside of families’ price ranges, or because property owners are not very familiar with the voucher program. Many families with vouchers want to move into Opportunity Areas because they offer high-quality schools and other public amenities.