Louisiana’s lack of affordable housing continues to worsen; the state’s housing affordability index fell by 29% from 2021 to 2024 according to The Louisiana Realtors Association. However, efforts are being made at the local level to provide some housing stock within reach of more New Orleanians.

The Latest From NORA

One of the big players in this arena is the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA), headed by Executive Director Brenda M. Breaux, which is working to revitalize neighborhoods and support equitable housing development by collaborating with multiple entities to promote sustainable housing growth.

NORA has a big need to fill.

“New Orleans currently needs approximately 44,000 additional affordable rental units, yet only 239 new units were added in the past year,” said Breaux. “More than 40% of households spend more than half their income on rent, and family homelessness has surged by 69% in the last two years.”

Work is underway on multiple new developments, including the Esplanade DeLille Apartments — a planned 50-unit, mixed-income residential development under construction at 1141 Esplanade Ave., a vacant, city-owned lot at the corner of Esplanade Avenue and Henriette DeLille Street in the historic Seventh Ward.

The initiative is part of the city’s Redevelopment Framework, which aims to transform under-utilized city-owned properties into assets. With an expected completion date of early 2026, the Esplanade DeLille Apartments represents a collaboration between NORA and two New Orleans-based real estate development firms — HRI Communities and New Orleans Restoration Properties.

Esplanade DeLille Apartments will replicate the St. Bernard Circle Apartments project that opened on April 23, 2025.

Also in the Seventh Ward, the St. Bernard Circle Apartments officially opened with 51 mixed-use, mixed-income residential units at 1431 St. Bernard Ave. Sixteen units are designated for low-income households, while 24 are for moderate incomes, and 11 are being leased at market rate.

Two ground floor retail bays totaling 1,800 square feet are being leased to minority-owned businesses Gr8ful Events and Nola by Nature, a lifestyle brand and gallery space.

NORA played a pivotal role in the development of the St. Bernard Circle Apartments, finding the location, securing funding for land acquisition, facilitating community engagement, attracting qualified developers and hosting the competitive public bid process. As with Esplanade DeLille Apartments, the St. Bernard Circle project was co-developed by HRI Communities and New Orleans Restoration Properties (NORP).

In addition to supporting new affordable housing developments, NORA works to preserve existing housing.

“Investing in the maintenance and rehabilitation of existing homes is crucial to prevent further loss of affordable units,” said Breaux. This includes investing in funding for fortified roofing programs and requiring insurers to provide insurance breaks for these investments.

A key piece of the puzzle involves the private sector.

“Businesses can contribute to affordable housing projects through investments or partnerships, by providing employee housing incentives and funding allocations, and by advocating for policy changes such as zoning reforms,” said Breaux.

NORA has a program that allows businesses to enhance commercial corridors, promoting economic development and neighborhood revitalization called the Façade RENEW initiative. The initiative offers matching grants, typically covering 75% of project costs up to $37,500, to help small businesses and commercial property owners restore building façades along key commercial corridors.

Another piece of good news recently was the November 2024 voter approval of a charter amendment to establish a Housing Trust Fund that dedicates at least 2% of the city’s annual general fund—approximately $17 million starting in 2026—to affordable housing initiatives. The fund will be administered by NORA and Finance New Orleans, with oversight from an advisory committee to ensure consistent and protected revenue for affordable housing projects.

Spreading the Word

Since its inception, People’s Housing+ has undertaken projects across several New Orleans neighborhoods resulting in hundreds of affordable housing units. The New Orleans-based nonprofit formed in January 2023 through the merger of three local housing groups—Home by Hand, Crescent City Community Land Trust and Tulane Canal Neighborhood Development Corporation.

This past May, People’s Housing+ hosted and organized the 2025 Housing Summit, which nearly filled the Ashé Powerhouse Theater with approximately 140 developers, policymakers and residents.

“The size and diversity of attendance was the highlight of the Summit,” said CEO Oji Alexander. “This year, city officials reached out to ask us to be involved.”

The summit provided an opportunity for community members to connect to resources, as well as a platform for city officials to hear community concerns.

“We were intentional about providing real solutions to people,” said Alexander.

These solutions include informing people of grants for fortified roof retrofits and storm mitigation standards discounts.

A month later, in June of this year, the OnPath Foundation launched the “Pathway to Homeownership First-Time Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Grant Program, which offers eligible first-time homebuyers up to $5,000 to assist with down payments, closing costs or prepaid expenses.

“The grant is offered in partnership with OnPath Credit Union Mortgage Solutions to break the cycle of generational poverty,” explained Jay Huffstatler, executive director of the OnPath Foundation, who noted that the upfront costs of a buying a home can represent a significant financial hurdle for first-time homebuyers.

The OnPath Foundation also collaborates with local Habitat for Humanity affiliates to offer the Pathway to Homeownership Grant to partner families.”

Thinking Small to Make Big Change

In May, the Lower Ninth Ward celebrated the completion of URBANbuild 19, a tiny home duplex developed through a partnership between Tulane University’s School of Architecture’s URBANbuild program and Louvis Services, a nonprofit focused on addressing homelessness in New Orleans.

URBANbuild 19 is one of nearly 20 tiny homes built by Tulane students in neighborhoods such as the Lower Ninth Ward, Central City and Tulane/Gravier. Other completed projects include URBANbuild 20 (a Central City duplex finished in 2024), URBANbuilds 17 and 18 (on Washington Avenue, completed in 2022 and 2023), and URBANbuild 12 (on Toledano Street, completed in 2017).

Louvis Services manages the URBANbuild 19 property and provides ongoing maintenance while the Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans — a nonprofit that aims to prevent homelessness — provides comprehensive case management and supportive services to its residents including crisis counseling.

“It’s not just about units—it’s about building systems that prevent homelessness and help people stay housed long-term,” explained Donna Paramore, CEO of Travelers Aid Society. “We’re expanding case management services, deepening collaborations with medical and behavioral health partners, and working with local developers to identify innovative housing solutions.”

Paramore stressed that housing is the foundation for everything else—health, education, employment and family stability.

“When people have a safe, stable place to live, everything changes. Recognizing housing as a basic human right means rejecting the idea that anyone is “undeserving” of shelter. It shifts our systems from punitive to supportive, from reactive to preventive.”

Paramore noted that South Louisiana has certain unique qualities that make her work more challenging but, simultaneously, more rewarding.

“The intersection of environmental vulnerability, generational poverty and strong cultural identity makes our work in south Louisiana both complex and deeply meaningful. Natural disasters can devastate housing stability overnight, while entrenched poverty and systemic inequities require long-term strategies. At the same time, our culture of resilience and mutual aid inspires solutions that are rooted in community and care.”