Affordable Housing

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. To apply for an open waiting list, please complete the PBV waiting list pre-application.

Please Note: If you are currently a PBV waiting list applicant and you need to make any changes to your contact information, log into your My Housing account to update your information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Click below for responses to frequently asked questions.

There are no appropriations for this program and HUD does not allocate funding for project-based voucher assistance. Instead, funding for project-based vouchers comes from funds already obligated by HUD to HANO under its annual contributions contract (ACC). HANO can use up to 20 percent of its housing choice vouchers for project based vouchers.
Any eligible family on PBV Site-Based Waiting List that is interested in moving into the specific project is eligible for PBV assistance. Owners select families for occupancy of a particular unit after screening each family.
HANO will refer eligible families on the PBV site-based waiting list, to properties that have project-based voucher assistance when units become vacant.
HANO pays the owner the difference between 30 percent of family income and the gross rent for the unit.
Under the tenant-based housing choice voucher program, HANO issues an eligible family a voucher and the family selects a unit of its choice. If the family moves out of the unit, the contract with the owner ends and the family can move with continued assistance to another unit. Under the project-based voucher program, HANO enters into an assistance contract with the owner for specified units and for a specified term. HANO refers families from its PBV site waiting list to the project owner to fill vacancies. Because the assistance is tied to the unit, a family who moves from the project-based unit does not have any right to continued housing assistance. However, they may be eligible for a tenant based voucher when one becomes available.
HANO and the owner execute an agreement to enter into housing assistance payments (HAP) contract. Under this contract the owner agrees to construct or rehabilitate the units, and HANO agrees to subsidize the units upon satisfactory completion of the rehabilitation or construction. Upon satisfactory completion of the rehabilitation or construction and for existing development, HANO and the owner execute a HAP contract for a 15-year term that is dependent on availability of funding under the HANO's ACC with HUD. The HAP contract establishes the initial rents for the units and the contract term, and describes the responsibilities of HANO and the owner. HAP contracts can be renewed subject to availability of funding.
HANO has adopted a written policy for selection of units to which assistance will be attached. This policy is in HANO’s Housing Choice Voucher Program Administrative Plan. Click here to see HANO’s Administrative Plan. Generally, rents are set based upon market comparables and may not exceed 110% of the published existing housing fair market rents minus any applicable utility allowance. New construction of rental units is also eligible as well as standard existing housing. Rental units assisted under certain other Federal housing programs (e.g., rental rehabilitation, public housing) cannot be assisted with project-based voucher assistance.
Contact HANO’s Project Based Program Manager, Valerie Pruitt at (504) 670-3405.
Regulations are found at 24 CFR 983.