NEW ORLEANS (Thursday, August 8, 2024) - New Orleans East is experiencing a season of opportunity for transformative shifts in land use zoning aimed at increasing investment. New development is exciting for any community, and investors typically consider a site’s physical location and surrounding benefits before reviewing its zoning. Rezoning vacant land with flexible, mixed-use classifications will significantly enhance site marketability by reducing New Orleans East’s barriers to entry. This path allows us to address unmet needs in our neighborhoods, offer local investors the chance to invest in their own communities, and be part of growth, profitability, and progress. All these opportunities hinge on addressing our current zoning and land use policies through the proposed Future Land Use Map (FLUM) amendments. Zoning deregulation, at its core, increases investment and enhances the marketability of vacant, underutilized properties—a strategy we intend to use to build the community we deserve.

Rarely does an investor consider a site’s zoning before the investor first appreciates the physical situs and that location’s demographics. In the metaphorical dance of progress, it is imperative to lean into land use reform underway as a key component to increase New Orleans East’s land use marketability to investors. As we sift through land use zoning policies that hinder growth and sustain under-investment, we pave the way for purposeful shifts in public policy.

Palesa Community Development Corporation (Palesa CDC) supports the following City of New Orleans Master Plan Future Land Use Map Amendments (FLUM Amendments) because the amendments acknowledge single-family, duplex, four-plex, multi-family, commercial, and mixed-use options:

• · PD-9-01 to PD-9-25 (detailed list available).

These amendments aim to promote diverse housing options and stimulate economic growth by allowing for more flexible land use. Such changes align with our broader goals of increasing flexibility to develop our diverse New Orleans East communities in the same successful manner as other communities spread throughout the City of New Orleans and the Orleans-Metairie MSA.

Addressing Regional Growth Disparities

New Orleans East can and should plan and build housing and neighborhoods that cater to the needs and interests of younger adults, diverse families, and persons with cultural and creative pursuits. College student’s talents should be incorporated into community planning to effectively engage this target group in socialization that aims to increase their pride, attachment, and thus residency in New Orleans East neighborhoods.

For the first time in the past two hundred years of America, minorities will make up most children in public schools that will hopefully grow into citizens participating in varied systems of democracy. Since 2000, Louisiana, despite having a majority-minority city, New Orleans, lost two congressional seats due to population decline, while Texas, Florida, and Georgia saw population growth. In June 2023, an LSU affiliate expressed that Louisiana was losing college enrollment to Texas. The state’s growth rate of 2.7% is far below the national average growth of 7.4% and the Southern regional average of 10.2%.

Figure 2: Louisiana's population drops for third straight year:

Local Politics / nola.com

Figure 3: People are fleeing Louisiana as nearby states surge:

Local Politics / nola.com

Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Zoning and allowed land use policies dictate population growth. When you control the permit, you control the price, and thus the purse or wallet. Re-zoning utilizes the major distinction between absolute and nuance; only residential zoning on a parcel or the openness to the free market and business community assessing a site for marketability as commercial, residential single-family housing, multi-family housing, both, commercial, or as mixed-land use. When we use the nuance in lieu of the absolute, we manage dialogue that increases community collaboration, increases perception as a welcoming business environment, and increases investment. The amendments proposed by the City Planning Department and Commission increase zoning flexibility through Mixed-Use Zoning classifications.

We are each uniquely wired to contribute to our community. By embracing a process for sifting through each unique opportunity we then lay baselines that leverage patience to identify opportune shifts that are neither all black nor all white, but mostly gray and in a “Well, it depends” state of analysis. The actual, patient work of determining development opportunity nuances guide us toward a New Orleans East which may be experienced as welcoming first, second - less stressful, and primed for a future of diverse individuals in age, race, gender, and talent. Diversity in talents will contribute to our collective wellness and resident empowerment, which rests on guiding principles that leverage Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

Benefitting beyond the housing industry’s construction economics entails a dedicated commitment to crafting new living environments that encourage connection and nurture innovation. Managing this delicate dance into progress requires an unwavering commitment to initiating more of the world’s best community development practices that cater to both the current and the unknown, future resident’s housing interests.

Aligning with Federal Policies

As New Orleans considers the city-wide Future Land Use Map Amendments for New Orleans East, note the similarity found in policy goals with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Housing Supply Action Plan. HUD’s Announcement states efforts to accomplish the following:

• Reduce barriers to build housing: such as restrictive and costly land use and zoning rules.
• Expand financing for affordable, energy efficient and resilient housing; and
• Promote commercial-to-residential conversion opportunities, particularly for affordable and zero emissions housing.

These administrative actions are in direct alignment with the leadership of the City of New Orleans and City Council’s Future Land Use Map Zoning Amendments currently under review.

The article titled, “Biden-Harris Administration Announces Actions to Lower Housing Costs and Boosts Supply I The White House,” is excerpt herein: “Like Restrictive and Costly Land Use and Zoning Rules. Local land use laws and zoning regulations limit where, and how densely housing may be built. This constrains housing supply, perpetuates historical patterns of segregation, prevents workers from accessing jobs, and increases energy costs and climate risk. The Biden-Harris Administration is funding jurisdictions committed to removing barriers that restrict housing production and preservation, through the following federal departments.

1. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing Program (PRO): Restrictive local land use rules slow down housing production, or prohibit housing being developed at all, which increases the costs to rent or purchase a home. Such restrictive rules are often also inconsistent with fair housing principles. This first-of-its-kind $85 million federal program will provide communities with funding to identify and remove barriers to affordable housing production and preservation.
2. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program (RCN): Reduces land-use restrictions and improves transportation access to housing. The program provides up to $3.16 billion for planning and capital construction projects that prioritize disadvantaged communities and improve access to daily destinations.
3. Economic Development Administration (EDA): Updated the “Investment Priorities” that guide the agency’s grantmaking to include an emphasis on efficient land use, where commercial uses, economic activity, and employment opportunities are concentrated and accessible to nearby residential density.

Conclusion

The White House’s actions to reform zoning policy with targeted funding signify a conscious effort to expand potential land use and foster a more open market. Supporting land use policies that increase quality housing options will encourage investment in New Orleans East’s residential and commercial thoroughfares. Palesa CDC supports the FLUM Amendments approved by the City Planning Department and Commission and urges community support for these essential zoning changes.

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Kimberly Lavon Burbank is Chairman of Palesa Community Development Corporation. Ms. Burbank may be reached at 504-261-5067 or via email at kim@palesadevelopment.com.