LaFHAC’s 16th annual Fit For a King summit concluded last week on Wednesday, January 11th. Our moderators and panelists had great discussions about unconditional love as the catalyst for reproductive justice, best wealth building practices in the Black community, moving forward with Healthy Homes, and racially biased health disparities in our institutions.  We would like […]

In a surprise to advocates and constituents following the murky annual New Orleans City budget process, the New Orleans City Council approved a final budget December 1, 2022, which included allocations of two-thirds of remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars without notice or transparency on how the one-time funds would be distributed. Unfortunately, little […]

Fit For a King 2023’s Keynote address will feature renown journalist Linda Villarosa. Linda Villarosa is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, where she covers race, inequality and public health. A former executive editor of Essence Magazine, she is the author of the book Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American […]

That is how Ms. Scott describes her experience with foreclosure. Prior to the pandemic, Ms. Scott made several large payments to her mortgage, but the servicer’s failure to apply funds as received created a delinquency. LaFHAC’s Housing Counseling Department. led by Giazzlyn Duncan, was able to assist Ms. Scott with mortgage support. After years of […]

The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a key provision restricting short-term rentals in New Orleans as unconstitutional. The 2019 ordinance limited short-term rental (STR) permits in residential areas to property owners who live on the property and have a homestead exemption. The 5th ruled that the ordinance restricting licenses discriminates against out-of-state […]

Over 100 people packed City Council Chambers on September 29th and waited hours to speak in support of the Healthy Homes Ordinance. See TV coverage of the hearing from WGNO and WWL. Councilmembers heard dozens of horror stories from long-time renters, as well as from representatives of public health, environmental justice, music and culture, LGBTQ, […]

If you have ever rented an apartment in New Orleans, chances are high that your relationship with your landlord was problematic at best. From storm damage not being properly tended to, to regular maintenance requests being ignored, many renters in New Orleans have experienced some degree of neglect from landlords who are only interested in […]

In 2018, the Louisiana Legislature passed a new law that raised the penalty for landlords who keep security deposits without good reason. The law increased the amount a tenant can receive if they win their case to three times the amount of the stolen deposit. For example, if a landlord refuses to return $800 of […]

Last month the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down New Orleans’ short-term rental (STR) regulations—specifically the part of our rules that require STR operators to have a homestead exemption and live on the property. This would have opened up the floodgates to more out-of-town STR speculators scooping up homes in our neighborhoods and renting […]

1. Consider Renters Insurance. It’s definitely not in everyone’s budget, but if you are able to afford renters insurance, it’s worth looking into. You can sometimes get surprisingly affordable coverage that will cover you in the event of a hurricane, flood, fire, or theft. Coverage will often help you replace furniture and personal items that […]