1. A Resident’s Guide to Property
Resources for Neighborhood Improvement

2. About
Neighborhood Housing Services
Initially founded to serve a single neighborhood, Neighborhood The work we do empowers individuals and families. We help people
Housing Services (NHS) has since expanded services region-wide, make informed choices that will increase their long-term wealth;
offering one-stop-shopping for comprehensive home-ownership enhance their positive civic participation; and become leaders in
services. Since 1976, we have worked to revitalize communities by their community. We invest in individuals, in neighborhoods, and in
increasing the number of homeowners and transforming vacant children – to create vibrant communities of choice, and to advance
or substandard properties into sustainable home-ownership the evolution of the Greater New Orleans region.
opportunities. We improve quality of life through informed
community development initiatives, leadership development,
education, outreach & collaboration.
NHS provides a holistic approach to community redevelopment,
offering an array of services to impact neighborhoods and individual
households and develop resident leadership. We offer classes to
deliver basic personal finance management information and home-
ownership education; one-on-one counseling to help people clean up
their credit, avoid foreclosure, and learn sound financial management
skills; and community building initiatives to foster leadership
development and organize neighborhood capacity.
We also offer construction management: a tremendous resource
for anyone undergoing a home renovation or rebuild project, at any
level of income. It’s a great tool for anyone who doesn’t consider
him/herself “construction savvy,” and doesn’t want the burden of
monitoring their own home renovations.
4528 Freret Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70115
(504) 899-5900
www.nhsnola.org
Property Campaign Manual | About

3. Table of Contents
Purpose Table of Contents
There are a lot of resources that can be useful when looking for A Resident’s Guide to Property
information about properties and processes, but some are also Introduction 1
confusing or hard to find. The purpose of this guide is to help Outcomes for a Distressed Property 2
residents be more involved in the process of turning a distressed Improving Property in Your Neighborhood: First Steps 3
property into a positive asset for the community. This guide will help Steps You Can Take in Code Enforcement
you figure out where to learn about a property, how to participate in How do you report a problem? 4
a public hearing, and help make New Orleans and its neighborhoods a Once a property is reported/At a hearing 5
great place to live. The Code Enforcement Process 6
How do I attend a hearing? 7
Attending a reset hearing 8
Sheriff’s Sales/Tax Sales 9
Demolition 10
Looking Up Tax Information 12
Other Useful Information/Resources 13
Glossary 14
Neighborhood Housing Services | Table of Contents

4. Introduction
We all love New Orleans and take pride in our neighborhoods. Yet, many areas have suffered from a great deal of stress environmentally,
economically, and from population loss. When a property is abandoned or vacant, the residents who live nearby can suffer. Neglected property
fosters unsafe and illegal activities, harbors health and environmental hazards, lowers property values, and jeopardizes community pride.
After identifying neglected property as a major concern of residents, Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) embarked on a campaign to address
this problem. The campaign includes surveying properties, working with residents to contact property owners, as well as coordinating with other
public agencies to enforce housing codes and report violations.
NHS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that has been providing education and assistance to homeowners for over 30 years. The goal of NHS is to revitalize
communities by increasing the number of homeowners and transforming vacant or substandard properties into sustainable homeownership. They
also work to improve quality of life through informed community building initiatives, leadership development, education, outreach, and
collaboration.
Property Campaign Manual | Introduction 1

5. Outcomes for a Distressed Property
Outcomes for a Distressed Property
Title
Owner Renovates
Owner Keeps Property
Owner Demolishes
New Owner Renovates
Owner Sells Property
New Owner Demolishes
If Blighted
Expropriation
Owner Fixes Violations
Sheriff Sale
Property Guilty of Owner Does Not Fix
Distressed Property
Code Violations Violations
If Public Nuisance
Property Seizure
Government Abatement
Owner Pays and
Redeems Property
(Must be done within 3 What is distressed?
years or 18 months if the
property is declared
A distressed property is on that could
Property has Unpaid blighted) be in poor condition or may be violating
Sold in Tax Sale
Taxes a housing or health code or has unpaid
Owner does not pay taxes.
and Property Belongs
to Purchaser
Distressed Property: A distressed property is one that could be in poor condition or may be violating a housing or health code or has unpaid taxes.
2 Neighborhood Housing Services | Overall Process

6. Improving Property in Your Neighborhood
First Steps Residents Can Take
1) Try Contacting your Neighbor What characterizes a public nuisance?
If you know who owns the property, consider reaching out to Large amount of trash on lot
them to find out what their intentions are for the future. If he Plants are taller than 18 inches
or she is in need of assistance, perhaps you know of some Abandoned automobiles, appliances, furniture, etc.
resources that would be helpful to them. Unsafe conditions for children, unstable foundation, uncovered
holes and unsecured building materials
Rats and other small animals can find food and shelter easily on the
2) Look into Possible Code Enforcement Violations site
The property may be in violation of the city’s housing standards which Objects on the site that can hold standing water
may make it either a public nuisance or a blighted property.
It might be a fire hazard, not have the facilities or equipment required
by the housing code, have a negative impact on the What characterizes blight?
neighborhood (health, safety, or economic strength), be abandoned Unsafe, unsanitary, or unhealthy living conditions
or have an infestation of rodents. Constitutes fire hazard
Lacks facilities or equipment required by the housing code
Forms a negative impact on the neighborhood in terms of public
health, safety, or economic liveliness
An abandoned property
An infestation of rodents
The biggest difference between blight and a public nuisance is the
outcome. For additional information, see chart on page 7.
Property Campaign Manual | Code Enforcement 3

7. Steps You Can Take in Code Enforcement
How Do You Report a Problem?
Report the problem online.
ONLINE STEPS
The best way to report a violation is online at www.cityofno.com.
1) On the left, there will be a button that says, “Find or Report.”
2) In that list, click on “report a code violation.”
You can ask to remain anonymous.
Types of Problems You Can Report
Drug Activity Open/Unsecured Windows & Doors
Vagrants Rodents
High Weeds Partial Collapse/Structural Problems
Trash/Debris
or
CALL (504) 658-2299
Tip
Make sure to record the violation number when you file a report.
4 Neighborhood Housing Services | Reporting Violations

8. Steps You Can Take in Code Enforcement
What Happens When a Property is Reported? What happens at a hearing?
The City will send an inspector to the property. At a hearing, it’s determined if the property is guilty or not guilty of a
violation.
The inspector will identify whether or not the site is breaking the
City’s housing code. If the property owner can show that he or she fixed the problems,
then they are innocent and the case is dropped. If the property
If the property is in violation of the code, the property owner will owner has not fixed the problems, he or she is found guilty.
receive a letter.
If they are found guilty a couple things occur:
The property owner will be expected to go to a hearing about the 1) The owner has to pay fines until it is fixed.
property 30 days later. 2) The property owner has 30 days to fix the problem.
3) A second hearing (also called a reset hearing) will take place to
During these 30 days the property owner can fix the problem. make sure the property has been fixed. Residents can also attend this
meeting.
Neighbors can gather information, prepare for the hearing, and can
plan to attend the hearing. If the problem still isn’t fixed:
1) Liens can be placed on the property
2) Then the nuisance may be removed or the property demol
ished by the city at the owner’s expense.
Helpful information about attending a code enforcement hearing as 3) The property may undergo expropriation or Sheriff Sale
a neighbor:
• On hearing days, multiple properties are scheduled to begin at
9:15 am or 1:15 pm. What is expropriation?
• It can take several hours before a property is called for it’s official If a property is declared blighted and the owner does not fix it up,
hearing. the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority will then take owner-
• If the property owner does not appear, the hearing will not take ship of the property and eventually put it back into circulation.
place. If the condition of the property has not improved, the
judgement is guilty.
Property Campaign Manual |After Reporting a Violation 5

9. The Code Enforcement Process
Report Filed/ Property
Administrative
Sweep Inspection has been Case
Hearing brought into
Conducted Closed
compliance
Guilty Owner demostrates
progress on property;
Owner compliance
agreement created.
-Judgment signed &
Public Nuisance recorded
and/or Blight -Daily fine issued
-Notice of 30 day appeal Reset
-Liens issued & recorded Hearing
Scheduled
Eligible for
City Abatement
of Public Nuisance
Transfer to NORA
Enforce Lien Types of Violations
for Expropriation
Building code violations refer mainly to
unoccupied structures.
Enforce Foreclosure Health code violations refer mainly to occupied
Fines Sale structures
6 Neighborhood Housing Services | Code Enforcement

10. Steps You Can Take in Code Enforcement
How do I Attend a Hearing?
If you have determined that the property you have been researching
already has a violation on file and a scheduled code enforcement
hearing, it may be valuable to attend the hearing in person. You can
find out about attending upcoming hearings in several ways.
ONLINE STEPS
1) A schedule of code enforcement hearings is listed on the website:
http://www.cityofno.com/Portals/CodeEnforcement/portal.aspx
or go to http://www.cityofno.com and click on “Departments and
Agencies” and select “Code Enforcement”
2) Once on the code enforcement website, you can scroll down to the
section “Schedule of Code Enforcement Hearings” and select “click
here to view a list of these properties”
3) This will show you a list of dates. For each date, you can select
“download” and a document will open that will show you a schedule
of properties and property owners as well as the date, time, and The Bureau of Administrative Adjudication in the Office of Community Development, City of New Orleans, is scheduled to hear the following cases at St. Maria
location for the code enforcement hearing.
Goretti Church, 7300 Crowder Blvd., New Orleans LA, 70127.
The purpose of these hearings is to determine if the properties at the locations listed below should be declared blighted pursuant to the provisions of Section 28-38
of the City Code or a public nuisance pursuant to the provisions of Section 28-37, et seq., of the City Code.
If the property is declared blighted, it is eligible for expropriation and if the property is declared a public nuisance, it is eligible for demolition.
If you cannot go online, you can find out about upcoming code
enforcement hearings in the Times-Picayune newspaper. Property
Address Contact Address on Contact City, State and Case Hearing Hearing
Number Dir. Street Name Suffix Contact Name on Record Record Zip Code on Record Number Date Time
3940 3rd St. Wilfred J. Vosberg Jr. P.O. Box 925 Boutte, LA 70039 10-00375 3/18/10 1:15 PM
1321 Annette St. William L. Byrd 1321 Annette Street New Orleans, LA 70116 10-00376 3/18/10 1:15 PM
You can also call the Office of Code Enforcement to find out about 6470 Argonne Blvd. Jerry Mar, LLC.
1522 Athis, LLC C/O
8705 W. Metairie Avenue Metairie, LA 70003 10-00377 3/18/10 1:15 PM
1522 Athis St. Gerard Metzger 829 Baronne Street New Orleans, LA. 70113 10-00337 3/18/10 9:15 AM
upcoming hearings. The phone number is (504) 658-4300. 2215
2524
Caffin
Dauphine
Ave.
St.
Mandy G. Kirk
James M. Thorrick
5447 Dauphine Street
P.O. Box 70172
New Orleans, LA 70116
New Orleans, LA 70172
10-00378
10-00379
3/18/10
3/18/10
1:15 PM
1:15 PM
2600 General Collins
2218 Desire St. Columbus Smith Jr. Avenue New Orleans, LA. 70114 10-00338 3/18/10 9:15 AM
2224 Desire St. Alcus Williams Jr. 2224 Desire Street New Orleans, LA. 70117 10-00339 3/18/10 9:15 AM
St. (Accessory
2224 Desire Bldg) Alcus Williams Jr. 2224 Desire Street New Orleans, LA. 70117 10-00340 3/18/10 9:15 AM
2300 Desire St. Marijojuana Dukes ET AL 6001 Downman Road New Orleans, LA. 70126 10-00341 3/18/10 9:15 AM
2308 Desire St. Deborah D. Jones 5204 Forest Park Lane Algiers, LA. 70131 10-00342 3/18/10 9:15 AM
St. (Accessory
2308 Desire Bldg) Deborah D. Jones 5204 Forest Park Lane Algiers, LA. 70131 10-00343 3/18/10 9:15 AM
Property Campaign Manual |Attending Hearings 7

11. Steps You Can Take After the Hearing
Attend a Reset Hearing Where Do I find a Hearing For a Specific Property?
Look to see if there is going to be a second hearing or reset hearing If you are looking for one specific property and don’t want to check
to make sure code violations have been fixed. the internet/ city hall every day there is an easier way.
After a property has had its hearing, the owner may have the Online Steps
opportunity to make the necessary repairs according to an agreement On the City of New Orleans website, www.cityofno.com, the top right
made with the court. Then a reset hearing will be set to evaluate if corner has a section called “My CNO.”
the repairs have been made. 1) Click on “register here” the first time, and “log in” every time
thereafter. This is a free account that gives you better access.
Online Steps 2) Once you’ve set up your account, you can search in the top right
To check for reset hearings, you can check on the code corner. If you type in the street name, all related hearings show up as
enforcement website. events. If a hearing has passed, you can read the result on this same
http://www.cityofno.com/Portals/CodeEnforcement/portal.aspx page. NOTE: All information about a property may not be updated on
1) Scroll down to “Upcoming Reset Dates” and click on “Upcoming the website.
Reset Dates”. A document will open with a list of properties and their
reset dates. The Bureau of Administrative Adjudication for the Health Department
also holds hearings every Tuesday and Wednesday starting at 9:00am.
To go to one of those hearings, go to the City Hall on 1300 Perdido St,
Suite 8E18.
8 Neighborhood Housing Services | Reset Hearings

12. Steps You Can Take After the Hearing
What are Sheriff’s Sales? Does the property have unpaid taxes or is it going to be
sold in a tax sale?
A Sheriff’s Sale occurs when the government sells real estate or other
property for a variety of reasons including foreclosure or other legal What is a Tax Sale?
issues. In New Orleans, the sale is conducted by the Orleans Parish A tax sale occurs when a property has delinquent taxes and
Civil Sheriff’s Office. Sales are made through a public auction and the city sells the property to recover these taxes. This is done
awarded to the highest bidder. through a public sale. The sale price of the property is the
What makes a property eligible for Sheriff’s Sales (lien foreclosure)? amount of the owned taxes plus any accrued interest, costs, and
a. No homestead exemption other statutory impositions.
b. Must not have been thru tax sale in the previous 3 years
c. Must have a blight judgment rendered against it
If the property is sold, the original owner has three years to redeem
Neighborhoods can take initiative in selecting the properties that the property from the purchaser. In New Orleans, if the property is
will be addressed through Sheriff Sales. Selected properties should blighted or abandoned, then the amount of time the owner has to
be monitored as they go through the code enforcement process. redeem the property is reduced to 18 months. An original owner of a
Neighborhoods can contact their councilperson on a monthly basis property redeems it from a purchaser by paying that person the sale
with properties they would like to see enter this process. price plus a 5% penalty and 1% interest per month from the date of
the sale until the date it is redeemed. If the original owner does not
What items need to be in the file that the neighborhood presents to make this payment, then the purchaser gets full ownership of the
the councilmember to initiate a Sheriff’s Sale? property. If no one bids on the property, then it is adjudicated to the
a. Photo and copy of current tax bill. city or municipality. If you buy the property and make investments
b. Judgment of blight certified by the Notorial Archives. ($32) during the 3-year or 18 month redemption period and the property is
reclaimed by the original owner, those investments can not be
How can I find out about upcoming Sheriff’s Sales? recovered.
Sheriff’s sales occur every Thursday at noon unless otherwise
advertised. Each piece of property and the auction date is advertised Bidding on tax sale properties is done exclusively online at
in the Times- Picayune newspaper 30 days beforehand and again on www.neworleans.onlinetaxsale.com.
that Monday. They are also advertised in a second publication such
as the Louisiana Weekly. Upcoming lists of properties for sale are
also available three weeks before the auction in two places: in the
Real Estate Division of the Sheriff’s Office and on the Sheriff’s Office
website at http://www.civilsheriff.com/RealEstateSales.asp.
Property Campaign Manual | Sheriff’s Sale and Tax Sale 9

13. Steps You Can Take After the Hearing
Will The Property be Demolished?
Once a property is adjudicated and declared a public nuisance, the The Neighborhood Conservation District Committee (NCDC) is the
property may be up for demolition. If the owner is against the committee responsible for reviewing demolition applications. It
demolition, s/he has 20 days from receiving a notice of demolition to publicizes its upcoming meetings and decisions on property.
write an official objection to the Department of Code Enforcement:
Office of Housing Code Enforcement Online Steps
Attn Mr. Hillary Carrere 1) Go to the City of New Orleans website, www.cityofno.com, click
1340 Poydras St. Suite 1100 on “Demolition”
New Orleans, LA 70112 2) At the bottom, “View NCDC website.”
3) Once there you can see when the meetings are, click to
If the owner shows serious intent to bring the property back up to download the agenda, or click to download how each person
code, or the property is in the historic register, New Orleans might voted. The disposition chart shows what the outcome was with
take the property off the demolition list. the property: approved for demolition or not and why.
Online Steps
If you want to know if the property you are learning about is on the
demolition list, you can write to the above address or
1) go to www.cityofno.com
2) Click in the center of the page on the tab “demolition” and then
“Click here to view a list of these properties.”
3) To learn which properties are historic or the owner showed serious
effort, click on “Click here to view a list of properties removed from
the demolition process.”
10 Neighborhood Housing Services | Demolition

14. Other
Title Useful Information
How do I Find Out if The Property Has a Building
Permit?
ONLINE STEPS
To find out if the property has acquired a building permit from the
City, follow these steps:
1) Go to the Office of Safety and Permits website at
http://cityofno.com/Portals/Portal37/portal.aspx
2) Click on “Permit Access Database” on the right-hand side of the
screen
3) Once you have entered the permit database, click on the
“Permits” tab.
4) Under the General Search toolbar, select “Search by Address”
5) The search will produce a list of similar addresses that link to
permit records, if a permit has been issued to the property, you can
click on the record number and view the details of the permit
including a project description,
If there are no permits associated with the property, think address
link will produce no results
Property Campaign Manual | Building Permits 11

15. Other
Title Useful Information
How do I Look Up Tax Information?
1) You Can Get Information From The Tax Assessor’s Office. 2) You Can Also Get Information From The Treasury Bureau.
Online Steps You can also look up what taxes the property might owe through the
A site that will give you information on the property is the assessor’s treasury’s office.
office. This site will show you exactly what taxes were paid, when the
property was purchased, but remember- the information might not be Online Steps
the most up to date. 1) Start at the city’s website, www.cityofno.com. On the left, click on
1) You can go to www.nolaassessor.com. “pay real estate taxes” or “pay taxes.”
2)Click on “search records” in the top blue bar, agree to use the
data for information only, and then choose a search with the data 2) On the next page, you’ll be asked to choose real estate or business
you have. If you have the owner’s name, click on “search by owner personal property tax and put in the tax bill number. You have the tax
name. Similarly, if you have the address, click on “search by location bill number from the other site. Click on “find my taxes.”
address.”
If the property owes taxes you might have a stronger case for why it’s
The tax bill number is important to have. This information is useful to a public nuisance. Similarly, if you are trying to prove your property is
show if the owner paid his/her taxes and how much the property is not a nuisance, showing that you’ve paid all your taxes can help.
worth as you try to build the case showing the property is or is not a
public nuisance.
12 Neighborhood Housing Services | Tax Information

16. Other Useful Information
Code Enforcement in Your Neighborhood
What if I Don’t Have Access To a Computer? What Are Additional Resources?
If you don’t have a computer at home, or can’t get to the library, there Legal Resources
are some non-internet resources you can use. Southeast Louisiana Legal Services
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services is a non-profit free legal program for
If there is a neighborhood association, you may be able to ask them low-income individuals.
about what is happening with the property and who owns it.
1010 Common St., Annex Bld., Suite 1400A
You can also request tax bills and details from the Bureau of the New Orleans, LA 70112
Treasury by calling (504) 658 2299 , or visiting/ sending a letter to: Phone: (504) 529-1000 or (504) 520-1008 or (877) 521-6242
Fax: (504) 529-1009
City of New Orleans, Bureau of the Treasury
1300 Perdido St For help with Succession/Title Clearing Issues, Contact Jovandra Larks
Rm 1W38 at the New Orleans office at (504) 529-1000 Ext. 274
New Orleans, LA, 70112
Community Resources
The Neighborhood Partnership Network is a non-profit organization
consisting of a citywide network of organizations that was established
after Hurricane Katrina to facilitate neighborhood collaboration,
increase access to government information, and strengthen the voices
of individuals and communities across New Orleans.
Neighborhood Partnership Network (NPN)
4902 Canal St, Rm 301
New Orleans, LA 70119
504-940-2207
www.npnnola.com
Property Campaign Manual | Resources 13

17. Glossary
Title
311 or (504) 658-2299 - Information/ Connection to City Clean-and-Lien Program – The Clean-and-Lien program applies only
Departments, this is the number to report a violation or ask for to structures in Housing Opportunity Zones (HOZs). After an
information on a hearing. administrative enforcement hearing determines that a code violation
exists for a property and the Administrative Hearing Officer issues a
Abatement – If a property has been abated, a violation or public final order, a private contractor will secure the blighted property by
nuisance has been fixed or removed. boarding windows, gutting, cutting the grass, filling holes, terminating
utilities, draining and filling pools, and resolving and capping sewer
Administrative Adjudication – Administrative Adjudication is the lines. To pay the costs of this securing and maintenance, the City will
process by which an administrative agency issues an order. For then place a lien on the property for that amount.
example, during a Code Enforcement hearing, the hearing process Website: http://www.rebuildrecoveroneneworleans.com/our-
which decides if a property is innocent of guilty of a violation is a progress-projects-Clean-and-Lien-Program.aspx
process of administrative adjudication.
Chapter 28 of the City Code – Chapter 28 of the City Code is where
Administrative Hearing – Administrative hearings are held to to find the building code requirements for unoccupied housing. The
determine if a property is innocent or guilty of a code violation. complete City Code can be found at http://library3.municode.com/
default-test/home.htm?infobase=10040&doc_action=whatsnew.
Appeal – If a judgment has been made on a property declaring it
a public nuisance or blighted, the property owner has 30 days to Code Enforcement – Code Enforcement is responsible for determining
challenge the decision (appeal). An appeal is filed with the Civil if buildings are in violation of the City’s building codes. Inspectors are
Districts Court at (504) 592-9250. sent to examine properties in question and if violations exist a hearing
is set.
Assessor – The office responsible for determining the value and taxes Phone Number: (504) 658-4300
on all properties. The office also has public information on addresses, To report a property: Dial 3-1-1 or (504) 658-2299
property owners, market values, and assessed values.
Orleans Parish Assessor’s Office
City Hall - Room 4E01
1300 Perdido St.
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504)-658-1300
Fax: (504)-658-1303
Website: www.nolaassessor.com
14 Neighborhood Housing Services | Glossary

18. Glossary
Code Enforcement in Your Neighborhood
Expropriation – Expropriation occurs when a property is declared Homestead Exemption – A Homestead Exemption, when applied
blighted and the owner does not fix it up. The New Orleans for, allows tax appraisal on a primary residence to be reduced. This
Redevelopment Authority will then take ownership of the property results in lower property taxes.
and eventually put it back into circulation.
Housing Opportunity Zone (HOZ) –This is an area of focus the City
Historic District Landmark Commission (HDLC) - The HDLC is in charge (through the “Clean and Lien” project) identified because of the large
of ten of New Orleans’s designated historic districts and properties. number of blighted/ public nuisance properties. Homeowners in the
Much of what they do is helping homeowners of historic buildings designated HOZs are often eligible for “soft” second mortgages.
make appropriate repairs.
Historic District Landmark Commission Interim Nuisance Abatement Program (INAP) – The INAP works the
1340 Poydras St. Suite 1152 same as the Clean-and-Lien Program but is for vacant lots in Housing
Phone: (504) 658-7040 Opportunity Zones.
Fax: (504) 658-3802
Website: http://www.cityofno.com/pg-99-1-hdlc-home.aspx Inspection – An inspection occurs when a building code violation has
been reported. Code Enforcement sends an inspector to determine if
Health Department –Works to improve the health and safety of the property is in fact breaking one of the codes. If it is, the property
residents. It is also involved with code enforcement issues that deal is cited and a hearing is scheduled.
with unhealthy or dangerous properties.
Health Department Lien – When someone or an agency has a legal claim to someone’s
1300 Perdido Street, Suite 8W03, New Orleans, LA 70112 property in order to recover debt or another obligation. An example
Wesley P. Taylor, Director is a tax lien when someone has a legal claim to someone’s property if
wptaylor@cityofno.com he or she does not pay the property taxes owed.
504-658-2596
Connie Daniels, Division Administrator Lot Next Door Program –The Lot Next Door program allows residents
cmdaniels@cityofno.com who live directly to the right or to the left of a property owned by
504-658-2608 NORA the first opportunity to purchase that property.
Website: http://www.noraworks.org/Lotnext.htm
Health Code Enforcement – A property or an environment that
does not meet the city’s health and safety standards will face code
enforcement hearings.
Property Campaign Manual | Glossary 15

19. Glossary
Title
NCDC (Neighborhood Conservation District Committee) – The NCDC Reset Hearing – A reset hearing is a follow-up to the first hearing. It
is the committee responsible for reviewing all applications for building reviews whether or not a property owner has fixed the problems with
demolition. http://www.cityofno.com/pg-37-31-neighborhood- the property. If the owner can demonstrate that the property is in
conservation-district-committee-meetings.aspx the process of being brought up to code, the property is considered a
‘work in progress’ (WIP) and future hearings are scheduled until the
New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) – NORA is property is brought into compliance with Chapter 28 of the City Code
responsible for city redevelopment and revitalization. Its powers for occupied housing.
include acquiring property through negotiation, gift, or expropriation,
selling or leasing the property, issuing bonds, and providing security Soft Second Mortgage—The Soft Second Mortgage program is
to support neighborhood development. meant to fill in the gap between what a home purchaser can afford
New Orleans Redevelopment Authority and the actual cost of the home. Funding for the mortgage comes
1340 Poydras St. Suite 600 from three different programs: The First Time Home-Buyer Fund,
Phone: (504) 658-4400 Fax: (504) 658-4551 The Homeowner Opportunity Fund, and the Welcome Back Fund.
Website: http://www.noraworks.org/default.htm Eligibility is determined based on need, household income, and
whether or not the home with within a Housing Opportunity Zone.
Notice of Violation – A Notice of Violation is the letter a property The Finance Authority of New Orleans is in charge of the Soft Second
owner receives after an inspector determines the property is Mortgage Program.
in violation of the building code. It discusses the hearing and Finance Authority of New Orleans
compliance. 618 Barronne St.
New Orleans, LA 70113
Office of Recovery and Development Administration (ORDA) Phone: (504) 524-5533 or (877) 524-5533
– The ORDA is responsible for managing and coordinating all Website: www.financeauthority.org
recovery efforts in New Orleans including long-term community
redevelopment, infrastructure modernization, and equitable and Sweep – The Code Enforcement Department focuses on a particular
continual growth for the city. area and puts every property in violation of a code through the
Phone: (504) 658-4200 enforcement process. The idea behind a sweep is to address one
Website: http://neworleans.iprojweb.com/basedefault.aspx neighborhood at a time and stabilize it. By fixing the blight, current
and future residents will invest in the community.
Public Nuisance Property – Whether or not a property is a public
nuisance is determined during a Code Enforcement hearing. A public Unsecured - means open or unsealed doors, windows, or other access
nuisance occurs when a property has significant negative impacts on points into a property.
the surrounding properties and residents.
16 Neighborhood Housing Services | Glossary

20. Glossary
Title
What is Code Enforcement?
Other Useful Phone Numbers
City Hall Switchboard
(504) 658-4000
Code Enforcement Department
(504) 658-4300
Department of Environmental Affairs
(504) 658-4070
Department of Public Works
(504) 658-4000
Health Department
(504) 658-2500
Historic District Landmark Commission
(504) 658-7040
Housing Department
(504) 658-4200
Mayor’s Office
(504) 658-4900
Mayor’s Office of Public Advocacy
(504) 658-4000
New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA)
(504) 658-4400
Rodent, Mosquito and Termite Control
(504) 658-2400
Safety and Permits Department
(504) 658-7130
Property Campaign Manual | Glossary 17

21. Neighbhorhood Housing Services
Construction Management Services
NHS believes that in addition to building new homes it is also critically The NHS Design/Build Center’s team utilizes a comprehensive
important to assist existing homeowners improve and maintain their process that assists in protecting the interests of homeowners. Our
homes. Construction Specialists act as technical advisers to customers and
coordinate the construction process from the initial feasibility study
and the development of a scope of work, throughout the competitive
bidding and contract process, and provide oversight until construction
completion.
Our process significantly reduces the risk of contractor fraud and
increases the likelihood that that the job is done on time and
according to specification because our Construction Specialists
will not authorize any payments to the contractor without our
professional inspection and the home-owner’s approval.
These easy-to-use services are available to all homeowners and home-
buyers throughout the New Orleans area. Contact Neighborhood
Housing Services at 504.899.5900 or www.nhsnola.org for more
information.
Our Construction Management Services do exactly that: support and
assist homeowners seeking to repair or renovate their home. Our
construction specialists perform a feasibility study, put the job out
to bid to trusted contractors, and monitor the job on a weekly basis.
Because our oversight process is so thorough, jobs are regularly
completed on time and on budget. This service, which bears a fee of
3 - 6% of the project cost, is charged on a sliding scale based on the
income of the homeowner.
18 Neighborhood Housing Services | Construction Managment Services

22. About Neighborhood Housing Services and NeighborWorks
NeighborWorks America is a national nonprofit organization created by
Congress to provide financial support, technical assistance, and training
for community-based revitalization efforts. Together, with national and
local partners, such as NHS, NeighborWorks creates new opportunities
for residents while improving communities.
Property Campaign Manual © (Pending) 2010 Neighborhood Housing Services