People working to help New Orleans rebuild and recover want to learn more about how to create vibrant neighborhoods that offer housing opportunities for residents at every income level.
Experience from other cities and research on what works can help policymakers, practitioners, advocates, residents, and business leaders debate and design effective policies and programs for New Orleans.
The Urban Institute, with support from the Greater New Orleans Foundation, presented ten seminars on housing strategies that work in other cities. The New Orleans Housing Institute series ran from September 2008 through July 2009.
The Institute offered the opportunity for a diverse network of leaders to come together every month for a program of learning and discussion that informed and enhanced ongoing collaboration, planning, and action.
About the Seminars
Seminars focused on critical outcomes that New Orleanians would like to achieve:
- rebuilding vibrant communities,
- connecting housing to jobs and services,
- reducing homelessness,
- promoting affordable homeownership,
- fostering diverse communities,
- expanding affordable rental options,
- preserving both historic architecture and housing affordability,
- attracting a vibrant mix of urban residents,
- making the most of local resources and powers, and
- strengthening civic leadership.
National experts provided concrete, actionable information on two or three programmatic models at each session,, including evidence from other communities where these models have been tested. Attendees had the opportunity to discuss how these models might work in New Orleans.
Speakers included Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and CEO of PolicyLink, Otis S. Johnson, Mayor of the City of Savannah, and Jeffrey Lubell, Executive Director of the Center for Housing Policy.
The series was moderated by Margery Austin Turner, Vice President for Research at the Urban Institute and James O. Gibson, Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Social Policy.
Video and PowerPoint presentations from each seminar are available for download free of charge:
Restoring Vibrant Communities. Anne Kubisch of The Aspen Institute presented lessons learned from comprehensive community change initiatives that can help inform rebuilding of neighborhoods in New Orleans. (September 17, 2008)
Connecting Housing to Jobs and Services. Radhika Fox, Associate Director at PolicyLink described state-of-the-art strategies for linking affordable housing with workable transportation options including transit-oriented development and walkable neighborhoods that are close to jobs, shopping, and essential services. She discussed what we know and what’s working in other communities to cut commute times, reduce traffic congestion, and make cities more livable. (October 15, 2008)
Reducing Homelessness. Mary Cunningham, formerly the Director of Policy Research at the National Alliance to End Homelessness and now an Urban Institute researcher showcased promising solutions to the problem of homelessness. She described both local models and rigorous research on prevention strategies, the “housing first” approach, and permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals and families. (November 19, 2008)
Promoting Affordable Homeownership. Jeff Lubell, Director of the Center for Housing Policy summarized lessons from research and local practice to frame a discussion about what it takes to expand opportunities for secure homeownership. Topics will include helping moderate-income families overcome barriers to home purchase, sustaining homeownership, subsidies to enable low-income families to become homeowners. (January 14, 2009)
Fostering Diverse Communities. Angela Blackwell, founder and CEO of PolicyLink tackled the value and challenge of opening up our neighborhoods to residents from diverse economic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds to foster healthy and respectful diversity. In this session we discussed what it takes to incorporate affordable housing in new developments, build welcoming communities across lines of race, ethnicity, and income, and combat discrimination. (February 11, 2009 )
Expanding affordable rental options. Margery Turner, Vice President for Research at the Urban Institute, outlined a portfolio of strategies for making more affordable rental housing available citywide. This discussion gave special attention to tools for acquiring and renovating small rental properties and single-family homes that are sitting vacant, but also discussed the potential of public housing, vouchers, and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit. (March 18, 2009)
Preserving both historic architecture and housing affordability. Clark Schoettle, Executive Director of the Providence Revolving Fund described strategies in cities across the country to preserve architectural heritage and stimulate community revitalization while also retaining and developing affordable housing. We discussed techniques for engaging neighborhoods and community-based organizations, collaborating to preserve and develop real estate, and catalyzing public and private investment. (April 15, 2009)
Attracting a Vibrant Mix of Urban Residents. Alan Berube, Director of Research for the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program, discussed the changing mix of people who live in cities, what these trends imply for housing policy, and possible strategies cities can employ to attract a diverse and healthy mix of residents. Discussion explored opportunities and challenges posed by the aging of the baby boom generation, immigration and the increasing diversity of the US population, claims that the "creative class" can fuel a city's prosperity, questions about whether cities can and should attract more families with children, and concerns about the welfare of low-income residents in a rapidly changing city. (May 20, 2009)
Making the Most of Local Resources and Powers. Otis Johnson, Mayor of Savannah, Georgia, focused our attention on practical tools and techniques that are within the purview of local government. What can local policymakers accomplish using powers like land use and building regulation, infrastructure investments, tax increment financing, and special-purpose fees and set-asides. (June 17, 2009)
Strengthening civic leadership. James Gibson, Senior Fellow, Center for the Study of Social Policy described progress community leadership in other cities have made toward a broadly shared vision around housing and neighborhood revitalization goals. Such a vision can mobilize the resources necessary to make meaningful progress and help hold government officials and agencies accountable across administrations. (July 15, 2009)
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