The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority has conditionally signed off on turning several city-owned lots on the 2900 block of Tulane Avenue into housing, naming a developer to design a non-congregate facility with private units for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing housing. City officials say federal HOME-ARP resources will pay for the project, and that public outreach will begin once early designs are on the table.
As reported by WWL-TV, NORA’s board granted a conditional award to HRI Communities to develop and operate the site on the 2900 block of Tulane Avenue. According to WWL-TV, that award is still not a done deal, since it hinges on final regulatory requirements from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
What the site includes
According to NORA, the development site consists of seven municipal parcels with frontage on Tulane Avenue, South Gayoso and South Dupré, adding up to roughly 35,304 square feet. NORA’s RFQ lists multiple addresses across the 2900 block and notes that the city has earmarked HOME-ARP funds for the project as part of its Strategic Redevelopment Framework.
Non-congregate model and services
City and NORA planners say the project will follow a non-congregate model, with private units that include kitchens, bathrooms and individual entrances, designed to give residents more independence while they connect to services. WWL-TV reports that the layout is intended to let the operator convert the building to permanent supportive housing once a required minimum use period has passed.
Developer and neighborhood context
HRI Communities, the conditional awardee, is part of the HRI Properties family and has developed and managed affordable and supportive housing projects in New Orleans, including earlier work along Tulane Avenue, according to HRI. City planners say the Tulane Avenue project is also meant to bring underused parcels back to life and potentially open the door to new street-front retail and broader neighborhood reinvestment…