Housing First Alliance of the Capital Area

The Housing First Alliance presents a unified voice to drive solutions to Capital Area’s housing problems, made up of organizations and individuals committed to advocating for the prioritization of housing issues on a local, regional, state, and federal level.

Housing is a Right for ALL

In 1948, the United States signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), recognizing adequate housing as a component of the human right to an adequate standard of living. We know that is not true for all citizens in our country. Housing plays a vital role in achieving social and economic success. It is a universal belief that people search for housing based on proximity to schools, access to jobs, perceptions of safety, and the shared values of neighbors. This is why we believe Housing is Health.

 

Challenges Faced in East Baton Rouge Parish 
Research has shown that housing problems have ripple effects on health, education, economic mobility, child welfare, civil rights, criminal justice, and more. Affordable, stable, and quality housing options for all types of households and income levels can lead to better outcomes. 
Below are some of the key challenges and data points identified in the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Study.
 
  • Cost Burdened Families: 44% of Louisiana residents spend more than 35% of their monthly income on rent - that's the 5th highest in the United States. To afford a two-bedroom apartment in our parish, families have to make $17.19, but the LA minimum wage has remained $7.25 for years.
 
  • Low Housing Supply: 19% of East Baton Rouge Parish does not have enough affordable housing to meet the needs of the residents, leaving 900 residents at risk of homelessness annually and 3,500 people seeking housing assistance services.
 
  • Limited Support Services: East Baton Rouge Parish has 900 units of public housing and 3,900 housing vouchers, leaving 3,400 people on indefinite waitlists for services.

 

Strategies to Ensure Housing For All
The Housing First Alliance has identified 10 startegies to addressing housing in East Baton Rouge Parish.
 

1. Reclaim properties

2. Title-clearing clinics

3. Home improvement and rehab programs

4. Increase home ownership

5. Encourage housing equity through shared ownership models

6. Increase access to capital in areas of low homeownership

7. Protect tenants from retaliatory evictions

8. Increase quality affordable rental stock

9. Leverage health sector

10. Increase low- and moderate-income housing in high opportunity areas

 
Get Involved

You can join the Housing First Alliance in addressing our housing crisis and pursuing strategies to ensure every person in East Baton Rouge Parish has safe, quality, affordable housing.

You can learn more about their work by visiting their website by clicking here

You can join their mailing list to stay up to date on their initiatives and calls to action.

You can join the alliance as an individual, company, or nonprofit by emailing info@housing1stalliance.org

 

Housing First