How we confront our housing crisis will decide the future of New Orleans. Whether families can remain in their neighborhoods, whether businesses can attract and keep talent and whether our city grows or shrinks hinges on access to safe, affordable housing.
As someone who has spent my career advancing housing policy and development, I know that housing is not just a line item or campaign talking point. It is the foundation on which every other priority rests. Safer streets, stronger schools, better health outcomes and a thriving economy are all tied to whether people can afford to live and build their lives here.
At the Housing Authority of New Orleans, we see this reality up close every day. We serve more than 23,000 families, seniors and individuals — all striving for stability in an increasingly costly housing market. Our 200 dedicated team members work daily to connect resources with needs, ensuring our clients have access to safe, stable and affordable housing.
For nearly 90 years, HANO has been at the center of New Orleans’ housing story. Now, the agency is reimagining its role, aligning our mission with the city’s evolving needs and leading the way toward a more affordable, equitable future. Since Hurricane Katrina, HANO has facilitated more than $1 billion in public and private investment in housing and community development, issued over 18,000 housing vouchers — exceeding demand to ensure families can stay housed — and helped nearly 600 families become homeowners through one of the most successful programs of its kind in the nation.
This year alone, we have completed 100 new affordable housing units and continue to expand access by working with more than 5,000 landlords who accept vouchers, extending opportunity across neighborhoods citywide.
Yet even with this progress, the work ahead is formidable. Rising insurance premiums, construction costs and stagnant wages are stretching families thin and stalling projects that could bring relief. These challenges demand vision and consistency.
With the election now behind us, the incoming administration has a critical opportunity to act. City leaders must treat housing as the foundation for everything else — and partner with the agencies and organizations that have the expertise, resources and relationships to deliver results.
HANO stands ready to be that partner. As the leading authority on affordable housing in New Orleans, our role is to connect resources with real needs. With access to hundreds of millions in HUD funding, we are uniquely positioned to move forward with projects that bring direct relief to families — from new developments that create affordable units, to programs that help seniors, working parents and first-time homeowners build stability and opportunity.
For a senior on a fixed income, affordability means the difference between remaining in the community she’s known her whole life or being forced to leave it. For a working parent, it means the security to focus on providing for their children rather than wondering how to cover next month’s rent. For families in our homeownership programs, it means turning the dream of owning a home into reality.
HANO is reimagining its role, not only ensuring housing access, but driving solutions that preserve affordability, expand homeownership and leverage federal and private investment to strengthen communities citywide.
As Mayor-elect Helena Moreno and the new City Council begin their terms, one thing is clear: Housing must remain at the center of the city’s agenda. New Orleans has always been a place defined by reinvention. With vision, partnership and accountability, we can ensure that the next chapter of that story is one where every resident has access to safe, affordable housing and the chance to build a better life.