A Home for the Holidays: New Orleans Landlords Needed

Data News Weekly Staff Edited Report shrthgezrareze

As we are in the Holiday Season and on the eve of 2021, the COVID-19 Pandemic continues to grip our city, housing advocates are calling on New Orleans landlords to give the gift of Affordable Housing this holiday season. Hundreds of landlords are needed in order to match housing insecure individuals and families with the 19,000 properties that are currently vacant in New Orleans.

HousingNOLA is working with the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO), Unity of Greater New Orleans, DePaul USA, and Louisiana State Partners to solve this housing crisis. Landlords are encouraged to join the Landlord Incentive Program, which is designed to create new housing opportunities for residents in need of safe and affordable homes during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The initiative encourages and motivates property owners to list vacant units they wish to lease. Specifically, studio and 1-bedroom units are in most demand.

“If you have a vacant apartment that you want to monetize in 2021, we are talking directly to you,” says Andreanecia Morris, HousingNOLA Executive Director. “We’re asking you to give the gift of housing. You’ll not only get your units rented at a fair price, but you’ll also be helping those most in need during a time when housing is critical to surviving the COVID-19 Pandemic. Landlords are a key to ending our housing crisis.”

This past April, HousingNOLA discovered there were more than 1,000 people with Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) Section 8 Vouchers who could not find housing. HANO responded with the Landlord Incentive Program. By September, more than 400 voucher-holders were matched with available housing and more than 100 new landlords were added to the program.

“Since launching HANO’s Landlord Incentive Program, over 170 property owners have partnered with us to provide more than 200 units to serve low-income families searching for safe and Affordable Housing opportunities,” said Executive Director Evette Hester. “We appreciate the landlords who answered our challenge in providing needed Affordable Housing and encourage other potential landlords to assist in making more sustainable properties available for residents, during these difficult times.”

HCVP Landlords must agree to lease their units at fair market rate rents. Participation has benefits for both landlords and renters:

• Voucher participants benefit by finding quality Affordable Housing in the City of New Orleans
• Landlords benefit by receiving guaranteed monthly Housing Assistance Payments (HAP).
• Landlords are not limited in the number of units that can be added under the incentive program
• HANO will offer a $500 signing bonus to landlords for units leased to new program participants selected from its Tenant-Based and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists.

Landlords wanting to sign up for the new Landlord Incentive Program should contact HANO’s Landlord Liaison Wendy Demery Andrews at wdemery@hano.org or call (504) 670-3488 for more information on the Landlord Incentive Program. To find out how to become a landlord and register your property with HANO, visit http://www.hano.org/Landlords.

HousingNOLA is also working with LAHousingSearch.org to help landlords advertise their vacant properties for free. Tenants in search of properties can use the site to find rental properties in their desired area. Landlords can register for LAHousingSearch online at LAHousingSearch.org or by calling 1-877-428-8844 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

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