St. Tammany Parish business leaders are moving forward with a plan to build affordable housing for workers such as police officers and nursing assistants who are increasingly priced out of the post-Katrina real estate market.

The plan would establish what is known as a community land trust, with a nonprofit group owning land that it leases to homeowners for a nominal fee.

Prices would be within reach of those who currently cannot afford a home in the parish because the trust would retain title to the land and the buyer would own only the house itself.

Representatives from the Northshore Business Council, a newly formed group led by former Parish Council member Pat Brister and lawyer Howard Daigle, described the plan at a conference Tuesday in Madisonville.

The business council, along with the parish government and the St. Tammany Housing Partnership, soon will commission a feasibility study at an estimated cost of about $30,000, half of which will be financed with grant money from Habitat For Humanity St. Tammany West. The other half will likely come from the parish, which may eventually donate land to the trust.

Read more on Affordable Housing . . .

Crowds brave storm, lines for housing help
by Mary Sparacello, The Times-Picayune
Wednesday March 19, 2008, 8:05 PM

Photo by Donald Stout/The Times-Picayune

Literally thousands of people were lined up at the Kenner Housing Authority office Wednesday waiting to sign up for Section 8 housing vouchers. More on Kenner Housing Authority Opened Section 8 Waiting List

The Housing Trust Fund Guidelines as well as a Notice of Intent have been placed on the LHFA website at the following link: www.lhfa.state.la.us/programs/housingtrustfund/housingTrust.php.

The Louisiana Housing Trust Fund was enacted in June 2003 during the Regular Legislative Session. The fund, which will be administered by the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency (LHFA), will create affordable housing for very low, low and moderate-income individuals and families. It will enhance and create a wide-range of affordable housing activities that help revitalize neighborhoods, promote home ownership and build and rehabilitate rental housing throughout the state.