2015 POLICY VICTORIES

Density Bonuses: Participated in successful advocacy surrounding the City approving density bonuses in the updated Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.

Road Home Community Based Case Management: Working with the offices of Councilmembers Cantrell and Gray, GNOHA successfully advocated that the State fund community-based organizations to help Road Home homeowners finally come home and come into compliance with their covenants.

2015 Special Edition of Neighborhood Partnership Network’s The Trumpet: This issue highlighted housing issues in New Orleans and the HousingNOLA 10 Year Strategy and Implementation Plan.

LHC Homeowner Rehabilitation Program: Worked with the Louisiana Housing Corporation - which adopted all of our recommendations - on the creation of the new Homeowner Rehabilitation Program to fund the repair or reconstruction of disaster-damaged homes.

GNOHA/CBNO Blight Resource Guide: In partnership with Committee for a Better New Orleans created the Blight Resource Guide which is a comprehensive resource available to individuals, neighborhood associations and community groups to address the ongoing problem of blighted properties in New Orleans. The Guide is meant to provide a starting point for residents and community organizations to learn about the City’s code enforcement process and about the resources available to them.

Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act: Actively participated in the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance (CSFI) to advocate for the successful passage of the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014. This law repeals and modifies certain provisions of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act and makes additional program changes to other aspects of the National Flood Insurance Program.

City’s Soft Second Mortgage Program/Wells Fargo Neighborhood LIFT Program: GNOHA worked with the City, NeighborWorks, and Wells Fargo to provide comments and feedback on program structure for the Neighborhood LIFT program that provides down payment assistance program for qualified buyers. The program promotes sustainable homeownership and neighborhood stability.

Opposition to Lower 9th Ward $100 Lot: GNOHA publicly opposed the constitutional amendment on the November 4th ballot due to shortcomings such as program oversight and structure, market demand, and funding mechanisms that if passed would have been detrimental to the neighborhood. The constitutional amendment failed in the statewide vote.

Opposition to House Bill 420: GNOHA strongly opposed House Bill 420 that would have established a criteria for valuation of low-income housing property for purposes of assessment of ad valorem taxes. This would have been unfavorable to affordable housing projects that utilize tax credits or HOME funds throughout the state. HB 420 submitted was deferred by Ways and Means Committee and was not re-introduced in the current session.