Description
The Louisiana Housing Alliance ("LHA") was founded in 2006 when the devastation to the state’s housing stock, resulting from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, highlighted the need for various nonprofit housing networks, working independently of one another, to collaborate. The movement around hurricane recovery and working in areas suffering widespread destruction provided an opportunity to identify statewide housing challenges and opportunities. As a result, LHA works to ensure the preservation and production of quality, affordable housing for all Louisiana citizens, especially those with low incomes and special needs. LHA collaborates with advocacy leaders to review and give guidance on policy matters at both the state and federal levels, and seeks to build the capacity of housing partners to enhance affordable housing production and preservation.
LHA utilizes a four-part platform to guide its work:
Capacity-Building - Provide training, education and skill-building courses in areas such as organizational effectiveness, resource development/fundraising, community-organizing, neighborhood/community development strategies, and housing finance strategies to increase the production of quality and affordable housing units
Communications - Connect LHA members to each other through Web-based email, listserves, and other social networking venues to promote knowledge-sharing and collaborative problem-solving
Public Education - Prepare and disseminate materials to public/elected/government officials to increase understanding of housing as a driver of local and state economies; Share examples and stories of what affordable housing is, and who it serves, with members of the general public
Public Policy and Advocacy - Conduct research, analyze legislative proposals, and develop policy statements on affordable housing and related matters; Develop state and federal legislative advocacy systems to monitor housing policy within the respective governmental agencies/departments managing housing-related programs; Advocate for greater coordination of public policies which support affordable housing for low income and special needs Louisianans.
