Doubling Impact in the 9th Ward

In the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, two new houses with gardens are now home to people who were formerly unhoused. The houses were conceived and built by Louvis Services, which focuses not only on building permanent, dignified housing for New Orleans residents, but on providing supportive services to their tenants so they are not only off the streets but can thrive in their new communities.

These modern, airy homes were built to blend into the neighborhood, said Lou White, founder and executive director of Louvis. They have gardens for tenants to grow their own food, called the Edible Landscape program, and screened-in porches.

The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority gave Louvis the land on which to build the two tiny homes, which are attached to each other. Architects, engineers and construction supervisors donated their services to develop the houses. When it came time to finance the construction, White went to local banks but was turned down.

The viability of the project ultimately came down to the willingness of two Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to support the project together. NewCorp Inc, a New Orleans-based CDFI, provided the construction loan for Louvis and HOPE provided the permanent take out loan of $150,000.

During the process of assembling the financing, White said a number of people directed her to HOPE, where she finally met with Commercial Loan Officer Monica Walker.

“As we went through the process and she saw all the drawings, and we explained everything, she got it. She got on board with it,” White said of Walker. “And then she was just so helpful in managing the loan application. I feel like she was our advocate. With us being a fairly new organization, no one wanted to take a chance with us, but HOPE did.”

Walker was enthusiastic about a project that not only shelters people but supports them with counseling and other services in their new homes.

“This is two people, off the streets, in dignified homes. The houses are well-thought-out with the full amenities, and then Louvis connects the tenants to the services that they need,” Walker said, adding that working with Louvis is one of her favorite projects at HOPE. The organizations are partnering to develop housing on four additional lots given to Louvis by the city of New Orleans.

“It felt like it was a really good match for us. It felt like a true partnership. They were as excited as I was,” White said.

White bases Louvis’ holistic model on research that shows that people who are unhoused because of a disability, chronic health condition or mental health challenge benefit from the combination of housing and services. She said for services to be effective, they should be flexible and attractive to people who need them, and paired with affordable, permanent housing. Louvis’ two new tenants have case managers through the city of New Orleans, so the organization checks in periodically with the residents and the social workers. Blue Cross Blue Shield sponsors the Edible Landscaping home garden program, which offers financial incentives to tenants through Louvis to work in their gardens.

“The reality is that when you’re homeless, it’s really hard to do the things that people say you should do,” White said. “When people have a stable place to live and have support, they can make changes, and it benefits the community because these residents are then no longer completely reliant on public services. It works for people and it works for the community.”