| Are you from New Orleans Big Four (4) Public Housing? |
by: Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (New Orleans office)
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| Q. | What are the "Big Four" or "Big 4" sites?
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| A. | The "Big Four" are these public housing places, or developments: Lafitte, B.W. Cooper, St. Bernard, and C.J. Peete.
If you lived in Lafitte, B.W. Cooper, St. Bernard, or C.J. Peete at the time of Hurricane Katrina, keep reading this flyer.
If you did NOT live in Lafitte, B.W. Cooper, St. Bernard, or C.J. Peete at the time of Hurricane Katrina stop reading this flyer. See the FAQ on this site for other public housing residents who did not live in the "Big Four."
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| Q. | I used to live in public housing in New Orleans, but now I have a DVP (Disaster Voucher Program) voucher. When will my DVP voucher end?
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| A. | Unless there is some funding left over, the DVP vouchers will end June 30, 2008. Do not get this date confused with any other deadlines you might have heard about. |
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| Q. | I heard that I might have to start paying a share of rent for my DVP voucher; is that true? |
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| A. | Yes. In January of 2008 everyone on DVP will have to start paying a tenant portion of rent. Your tenant portion is approximately 30% of your income. If you are on DVP and already pay some money in rent, you will still have to pay that, PLUS your tenant portion of rent. |
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| Q. | I got kicked off of DVP by another housing authority. Can I get any help or assistance? |
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| A. | If you were kicked off the DVP program you should call a lawyer. The free legal services program in the New Orleans area is New Orleans Legal Assistance, and the Housing Unit number is 504-529-1000 ext. 223. If you were terminated recently you should call for legal help right now! |
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| Q. | How long will HANO offer moving money (relocation assistance) to families going back to public housing? |
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| A. | As of December 2007 HANO had money to help people move back to public housing. How long this money will be there depends on how much money HANO gets in the future. Also, HANO may not pay moving costs if you are already back in New Orleans. As of March 2008 it appears that relocation assistance would be continued until August 2008. |
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| Q. | Is there any relocation assistance (moving money) or help if I want to move back to New Orleans, even if I am not going back to public housing? |
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| A. | Yes.
FEMA has some relocation money to help people move, but the program is set to end Feb. 28, 2009. The ending time may be extended, but that is not sure. Call FEMA's helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA to find out more. |
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| Q. | What sort of help will I get after DVP ends? |
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| A. | Whether you can get more help after DVP depends on where you lived before the storm.
If you lived in LAFITTE, B.W. COOPER, C.J. PEETE OR ST. BERNARD (the Big Four) you should be eligible for a Tenant Protection Voucher (TPV). Look below for answers to more questions that you might have.
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| Q. | Why is it important to know if I lived in the "Big Four" at the time of Hurricane Katrina? |
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| A. | If you lived in one of these "Big Four" places at the time of Katrina, this is important for getting a Tenant Protection Voucher (TVP)
The "Big Four" are Lafitte, B.W. Cooper, C.J. Peete and St. Bernard. These are the four large housing sites that HUD and HANO closed after Katrina. These are the sites that are supposed to be torn down and rebuilt or redeveloped. |
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| Q. | What is a Tenant Protection Voucher? |
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| A. | A Tenant Protection Voucher (TVP) is a special type of voucher HUD gives to tenants whose units are being torn down (demolished) and redeveloped. |
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| Q. | Is a Tenant Protection Voucher like Section 8? |
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| A. | Yes, it is more like a Section 8 voucher than DVP, but not exactly the same. |
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| Q. | When will my DVP voucher become a Tenant Protection Voucher (TPV)? |
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| A. | HANO got approval for Tenant Protection Vouchers (TPV) in the middle of September 2007.
HANO says it may have things ready to start switching people to Tenant Protection Vouchers (TVP) soon.
IMPORTANT! If you are not now in HANO public housing or if you are not using a Disaster Voucher (DVP) to pay for a place to live contact HANO right away at 504-362-4210.
Ask for a tenant protection voucher. Be sure to tell HANO that you want a tenant protection voucher and be sure to tell HANO that you lived in one of the ?Big Four? sites.. |
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| Q. | I lived in the Big Four (Lafitte, B.W. Cooper, C.J. Peete or St. Bernard) at the time of Katrina.
Then I moved to another public housing development.
Can I have a Tenant Protection Voucher if I want one?
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| A. | Yes. |
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| Q. | What if I can get a Tenant Protection Voucher but I do not want it?
What if I want to stay in public housing while the "Big Four" site I used to live in is torn down and rebuilt?
Can I still go back to my old "Big Four" site when it is rebuilt? |
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| A. | Yes. But rebuilding (redevelopment) takes a long time.
It can take more than five (5) years to rebuild a public housing development.
The new development on the site may have fewer apartments for public housing people.
The new site may also have new rules about who can move in and which people can move in first. |
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| Q. | Will I lose my Tenant Protection Voucher (TPV) if I do not go back to my old place after it is torn down and rebuilt? |
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| A. | No, you do not have to go back to the "Big Four" site where you lived at the time of Katrina, even if it is torn down and rebuilt.
You can keep your Tenant Protection Voucher. |
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| Q. | How long do I have to ask for and get a Tenant Protection Voucher? |
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| A. | As of December 2007, this deadline was not clear.
If you do not already have a place to live under HANO, call HANO right away at 504-362-4210 to ask for a Tenant Protection Voucher.
If you are in public housing with HANO or if you are with DVP (Disaster Voucher Program) with HANO, then HANO should get in touch with you in the next few months. |
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| Q. | I used to live in one of the "Big Four."
Now I live in public housing or under a voucher in another state.
I want to come home now. What do I need to do? |
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| A. | Call HANO at 504-362-4210 to get your Tenant Protection Voucher (TPV) from HANO (not from the housing authority that handled your evacuation).
Be sure to talk with someone at the public housing authority where you live now.
Find out from the public housing authority where you live now to find out what you have to do before your move home, and what the rules are.
Tell the housing authority in writing what you want to do.
If you can, get the housing authority where you live now to tell you in writing what you need to do to keep up with their rules about moving. |
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| Q. | What if I want to come back to New Orleans, but I do not want a voucher?
What if I want to move back to New Orleans and live in public housing instead? |
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| A. | As of December 2007 there were are a few units available. Call Ms. Cormier at the Iberville site (504-529-1591) for details. |
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| Q. | My housing authority in Houston told me that I will get a regular Section 8 voucher when DVP ends, and Houston told me I have to wait a year to go home. Is this true? |
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| A. | You do not have to get a regular Section 8 voucher to say in Houston or any other place if you do not want to.
You can come back to New Orleans, get a Tenant Protection Voucher from HANO, and find a house in New Orleans.
Be sure to talk with someone at the housing authority where you live now and find out what you need to do before you move back to New Orleans. Call the HANO Section 8 office at (504) 362-4210 to find out more. |
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| Q. | I am still living away from New Orleans on a DVP voucher. I want to stay where I am. What should I do? |
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| A. | Call your current housing authority and tell them what you want to do. |
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| Q. | I am from one of the "Big Four."
I missed the deadline to lease up for DVP. What should I do? |
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| A. | Call HANO at 504-362-4210 to make sure you get a Tenant Protection Voucher as soon as possible. You can also go in person to the voucher office at 501 N. Galvez Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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| Q. | For people who lived at a site that was rebuilt before the storm.
I am originally from a site that was redeveloped (rebuilt) long before Katrina.
But right before the storm I lived in one of the Big Four. I heard that my first housing site was redeveloped with some tax credit units. I can't afford these units without a voucher.
I want to return to my first development (the one that was rebuilt before Katrina). I need a tenant protection voucher to afford a tax credit unit. Can I use my voucher in these units?
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| A. | HUD in Washington, D.C. has said this is OK. HUD has said tax credit units have to take vouchers. |
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| Q. | This question and answer is only for former Lafitte Residents:
I used to live in one of the Lafitte units that was fixed up after Katrina. But I do not want to move back to my old Lafitte unit. I want to get a Tenant Protection Voucher instead.
Can I still get a Tenant Protection Voucher? |
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| A. | Yes! HANO got vouchers based on the total of units at Lafitte before the storm. The Lafitte units that were fixed up after the storm are temporary units. Eventually these units will also be rebuilt. It is your choice whether you turn down a fixed up temporary unit or accept it. |
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| Q. | What if I can't find the answer to my question on this list? |
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| A. | Call New Orleans Legal Assistance at 529-1000.
We will see if we can find an answer for you. |
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