PolicyLink has worked extensively, advising state officials and policymakers from the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, the state legislature, and the governor’s office; while, coordinating with our counterparts who worked to ensure a robust federal response. PolicyLink continues to work to create a public policy advocacy infrastructure for organizations at the community level to engage in shaping recovery policy. These wins took the form of affordable housing in economically integrated new developments, a greater share of resources than originally targeted for displaced renters, and the requirement for affordable housing on all lands acquired for redevelopment.
Laying the Groundwork for Equity
Advocating for Affordable Housing
Identifying Promising Policies and Building For Growth
Laying the Groundwork for Equity
For the last year, PolicyLink advised the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA), created by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to address the state’s post-hurricane rebuilding needs. The LRA is the policy, planning, and coordinating body for rebuilding in Louisiana. By being a visible and vigilant advocate for housing recovery for low-income families and communities of color, PolicyLink helped shape the agency’s focus on equity, helped build a more inclusive policy development process, and contributed to a changed culture of policy development based on best practices, data, and community input.
PolicyLink worked with local leaders to insure that the needs of lower-income renters were addressed in The Road Home—the state’s $10.4 billion signature recovery program—and helped to advance important concepts, including:
Advocating for Affordable Housing
PolicyLink experts also continue to provide advocacy support to the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, which typically administered around $8 million annually in Low Income Housing Tax Credits—but after the hurricanes was charged with distributing $749 million in funding and is currently tasked to administer the newly funded State Housing Trust Fund.
During the 2005 special session, and the 2006 regular and special sessions, and 2007 regular session of the legislature, PolicyLink worked particularly with legislators from the New Orleans delegation, the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, and the Louisiana Housing Alliance providing draft bills, amendments, and testimony for housing trust funds, housing assistance centers, and inclusionary zoning.
The following state legislation identifies specific bills PolicyLink worked to support or oppose:
2007
Oppose HB 223: Requires approval of the parish governing authority prior to the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency taking action to approve tax credits or other housing programs in any parish, which advocates won due to large scale opposition. Support HB 765: Provides for supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year 2006-2007 (Contains 25 million Appropriation to the LA Housing Trust Fund). This bill passed.
Support HCR 123: Provides for legislative recommendation of a model ordinance for inclusionary zoning pursuant to legislation of the 2006 Regular Session.
2006
Support HB 974 (pdf): Inclusionary Zoning to Address Louisiana Housing Needs, which passed as permissive, and included a study resolution to research effective state practices to promote affordable housing development; Support HB 999 (pdf): Create a Revenue Stream for the Louisiana Housing Trust, which failed to get substantial support;
Oppose SB 743, HB 924/1050 (pdf) : Predatory Car Title Loans that Trap Vulnerable Consumers, which advocates won due to large scale opposition.
Additionally, the Policy Successes for Equitable Development (pdf) reflects the housing program that was advocated for by PolicyLink in concert with state and local groups, and that was approved by the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the Louisiana Legislature, and the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency.
The nationally-renowned urban design firm Calthorpe Associates has engaged PolicyLink, Louisiana State University, and other leading architecture and planning firms to participate in Louisiana Speaks, a statewide regional planning project. PolicyLink brings its expertise in equitable regional planning, research and analysis, and community engagement to the planning process. Louisiana Speaks involved more than 1,000 residents and neighborhood leaders from southern Louisiana in six workshops in July. The preferences and ideas expressed during the workshops will contribute to the development of alternative growth scenarios that was presented for public discussion in January 2007. And finally, PolicyLink advised the organization on building and sustaining resident engagement through the development of strategies and contacts for inclusiveness, diversity, and consideration of equity principles.
Identifying Promising Policies and Building For Growth
PolicyLink is also collaborating with the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation (LDRF) to build housing and equitable development policy capacity among community-based organizations in Louisiana. In addition to this assistance, PolicyLink expert on housing Kalima Rose, Director of Research Victor Rubin, and consultant Roy Alston were asked to write papers, commissioned by the LDRF for its first annual commemorative event—Hurricanes Rita and Katrina: Remembrance, Recognition, Recovery—to highlight strategies for moving forward in the areas of housing, economic development, culture, health services delivery, and education.