In 2014, the Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) commissioned at-needs assessment to coordinate housing policy initiatives aligned with the mission and purpose of the LHC and the short-run and the long-run projections of the Louisiana population. The housing needs assessment (HNA) provides important information about Louisiana that establishes the baseline for community engagement for any public policy decisions. They divided the state in to eight Regional Housing Planning Areas that mirror the regional labor markets developed by the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC). HousingLouisiana has added the Northshore region to the network after further engaging the community and understanding the different needs.

In 2018, the Louisiana Housing Trust Initiative transitioned into HousingLouisiana. While the group continues to seek ways to secure a dedicated source of revenue for the Louisiana Housing Trust Fund, for additional affordable housing funding and emergency preparedness, the group has expanded its focus. HousingLouisiana is a statewide initiative aimed at meeting Louisiana’s housing needs and create a statewide network of regional housing alliances to ensure better collaboration across the state. HousingLouisiana works on an annual Statewide Listening Tour with partners around the state to collect policy priorities for the Legislative Session and learn about local issues. HousingLouisiana provides technical assistance for statewide partners to build their capacity.

HousingLouisiana is working to create more housing alliances across the state that will provide those same resources to their communities. Establishing nimble and responsive housing alliances is a critical step to crafting a statewide housing plan based on the will, wants, and needs of all Louisianans. The network is currently working to engage residents of subsidized housing to increase voter turnout and increase statewide success on affordable housing issues. While the policy agenda will change annually to address the changing needs of the individuals and parishes in the State of Louisiana, the overall aim is to lessen the harsh effects that the lack of affordable housing has on communities throughout the state. The outcome of the statewide network working together on the same initiative would result in economic growth, new jobs, and new homes, helping to build a better Louisiana for everyone.