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1. What is the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA)?
2. What was NORA’s primary
function before Katrina and what authority does the organization have?
3. How can NORA help New Orleans to rebuild?
4. Does NORA have the power of eminent domain and how can
that power be used?
5. What is the Community Improvement Planning process?
6. How does NORA implement a Community Improvement
Plan?
7. Will NORA continue to address blighted properties through
its Blighted Property Acquisition and REALM programs?
8. Is NORA the only agency that deals with dilapidated properties
in New Orleans?
9. How do I know whether a property is considered blighted
and eligible for expropriation?
10. How can I get a property to be declared blighted?
1.What is the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA)?
The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) is an organization created
by the State Legislature in 1968, through the passage of the New
Orleans Community Improvement Act.
NORA has both a 501(c)3 non-profit and Certified Community Development Entity (EDE) status with its primary mission of providing investment capital for affordable housing and mixed use development.
To view NORA’s enabling legislation, click here. (.pdf format)
2. What was NORA’s primary function before Katrina
and what authority does the organization have?
Before Katrina, NORA’s function was to obtain site control and
dispose of blighted property. The specific mechanisms for the disposal
of blighted property included: aiding city-funded non-profits in creating
affordable housing; selling blighted property to private developers
for redevelopment; auctioning property to the public; and extending
the lot lines of neighboring property owners to encompass previously
blighted property.
As authorized by the Louisiana Legislature, NORA has the authority to improve, develop, purchase, and sell real estate in order to carry out “community improvement” projects, be they residential or commercial in nature.
3. How can NORA help New Orleans to rebuild?
In addition to the authority for the redevelopment of blighted and
abandoned property and the ability to implement Community Improvement
Plans at the request and approval of the City Council and the Mayor,
NORA is authorized to issue bonds for the development of public facilities
and infrastructure such as schools, community centers, streets, utilities,
drainage, and playgrounds.
NORA’s enabling legislation requires that 23% of the housing developed through the implementation of a Community Improvement Plan must be affordable housing for low- to moderate income families in New Orleans. This will help to ensure that all New Orleanians have an opportunity to come home.
4. Does NORA have the power of eminent domain and how can
that power be used?
NORA has the power of eminent domain which allows the agency to acquire
property, as necessary, to support redevelopment. Eminent domain, or
expropriation as it is commonly known, is used for the prevention and
elimination of blight and the implementation of approved Community
Improvement Plans.
NORA can only use eminent domain with the approval of the City Council, the City Planning Commission, and the Mayor. NORA is not in the business of taking people’s property. However, NORA is concerned about the condition of the communities that residents will be coming home to. All New Orleanians want cleaner, safer communities; but this can not be accomplished if every other house on a given block is abandoned, dilapidated, or in danger of collapse. Through the Community Improvement Plan process, these properties can be expropriated (when necessary), improved, and returned to productive use.
5. What is the Community Improvement Planning process?
The Louisiana Legislature has given NORA the authority to invest, borrow,
and issue bonds to carry out Community Improvement Plans and Projects.
The process must start with the City Council’s officially designating
an area of the city as eligible for a Community Improvement Project.
This is followed by an extensive public notification and outreach effort to solicit ideas for the redevelopment of neighborhoods. The Plan is then submitted to the City Planning Commission and City Council for review and approval. Following these approvals, NORA will begin to implement the recommendations of the Plan.
6. How does NORA implement a Community Improvement Plan?
If the City Council and the Mayor approve a Community Improvement Plan,
NORA is then authorized to implement the Plan.
In implementing the Plan, NORA can:
- Apply for , accept, and utilize federal grants
- Borrow and invest funds
- Prepare relocation plans to prevent displacement
- Demolish and remove structures
- Conduct appraisals, title search, and property inventory
- Launch pilot and target programs
- Close, plan, or re-plan streets
- Implement voluntary or mandatory repair programs
- Buy and sell real property
- Issue bonds to finance infrastructure
- Issue bonds to finance public facilities such as schools and recreational areas that support the redevelopment Plan
Since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, NORA has also applied to the U.S. Department of Treasury for $250 million in New Market Tax Credits. These tax credits are sold to businesses across the country and provide funding for investment in qualified low-income census tracts.
7. Will NORA continue to address blighted properties through
its Blighted Property Acquisition and REALM programs?
Yes. The fact that NORA will be involved in preparing and implementing
Community Improvement Plans will not interfere with its traditional
mechanisms for mitigating blight.
For more information about the Blighted Property Acquisition program, click here.
For more information about the REALM program, click here.
8. Is NORA the only agency that deals with dilapidated
properties in New Orleans?
No, there are a multitude of agencies and a multitude of programs that
deal with dilapidated properties in New Orleans. For a full listing
and complete description of these programs, click here.
9. How do I know whether a property is considered blighted
and eligible for expropriation?
NORA maintains and up to date list of all blighted properties in the
city. For a complete list of these properties or to search for blighted
properties, click here.
10. How can I get a property to be declared blighted?
NORA is not responsible for making the determination as to whether
a property is legally blighted. That judgment is based on inspections
that are made by the city’s Department of Health (in the case
of a vacant lot) or Neighborhood 1 Department (in the case of a structure).
Their contact information is as follows:
| Neighborhood 1, Code Enforcement 1340 Poydras Street, 11th Floor New Orleans, LA 70112 Tel: (504) 658-4300 Fax: (504) 658-4333 |
Department of Health |
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NORA
New Orleans
Redevelopment Authority
1340 Poydras Street
Suite 600
New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
tel: 504-658-4400
fax: 504-658-4551
