NEW ORLEANS, LA—Today, the New Orleans City Council passed an amended version of the Healthy Homes Ordinance. Below is the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center’s executive director, Cashauna Hill’s, statement on the passage of the ordinance: “The Healthy Homes Ordinance was intended to be the culmination of more than a decade of advocacy to finally […]

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and we want to make sure that anyone in our community who may be experiencing domestic violence knows that they have legal protections when it comes to their housing. Domestic violence and housing go hand in hand. Far too often, survivors of domestic violence are forced to make the […]

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, […]

New Orleans, LA—Today, the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center (LaFHAC) announced the settlement of a fair housing discrimination case against J.M. Property Holdings, LLC; Dr. Thao P. Mai; and their former property manager and agent, Tammy Sponberg. The suit, filed in federal court, alleges that the property manager tore up a couple’s rental application after […]

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 […]

Did you know that LaFHAC leads interactive Fair Housing workshops for students in grades K-8, free of charge? If you’re an educator, administrator or parent who would like to bring housing justice to your school during the 2022-23 school year, please reach out to LaFHAC’s Education Coordinator Silas Eames at seames@lafairhousing.org. You can read more about […]