Programs - City of New Orleans

Affordable Housing Programs

The City of New Orleans, through the Office of Community Development (OCD), awarded funds to Not-for-Profits and For Profits to implement programs and/or projects addressing Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation (OOR) programs.

Industrial Tax Exemption Program

The Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) is a powerful tool designed to attract and retain manufacturing investments in New Orleans. This program offers a local property tax exemption on qualifying investments, including land improvements, buildings, machinery, equipment, and any other property integral to the manufacturing process.

Accessibility of Streets and Sidewalks

The Department of Public Works (DPW) addresses a variety of issues that impact the accessibility of streets and sidewalks within Orleans Parish These include providing physical accessibility features on City of New Orleans streets, a process for public accommodation requests, a means by which accommodation grievance procedures can be initiated, and tracking progress toward compliance.

Accessibility of Streets and Sidewalks

The Department of Public Works (DPW) addresses a variety of issues that impact the accessibility of streets and sidewalks within Orleans Parish These include providing physical accessibility features on City of New Orleans streets, a process for public accommodation requests, a means by which accommodation grievance procedures can be initiated, and tracking progress toward compliance.

Additional Resources

Welcome to the Office of Information Technology and Innovation (ITI) resources page. We are committed to providing helpful tools and information to support City departments and employees in leveraging technology to better serve New Orleans residents.

Adopt a Catch Basin

The City’s Adopt a Catch Basin program enables residents to participate in this effort by adopting a catch basin in their neighborhood. Many residents want to adopt their catch basin to reduce the likelihood of flooding in their neighborhoods.

Affordable Parking for Hospitality Workers

The Mayor's Office of Nighttime Economy is exploring ways to increase the supply of affordable, accessible and safe parking options for frontline service, hospitality and other workers in the cultural economy.

Agriculture Street Landfill Solar Park

Gordon Plaza is one of the subdivisions developed on the former landfill. For many years, the residents of Gordon Plaza have petitioned the City of New Orleans to buy their properties and pay for moving costs to homes outside of the Desire neighborhood. The Mayor’s Office established the Gordon Plaza Task Force for which meetings were convened by City Council of New Orleans.

Ban the Box Initiative

The City wholehartedly supports the "Ban the Box" ordinance that ensures equal and equitable access to job opportunities for individuals with prior convictions. The City is committed to removing obstacles that might prevent qualified applicants from attaining or retaining quality employment.

Barber’s and Beauticians Collective Fellowship Program

Barbers and beauticians are community leaders and interface with hundreds of people a week. They often know about conflict before anyone else. This seven-week fellowship trains barbers in conflict resolution and mediation skills so that they can de-escalate conflicts that might arise.

Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Restoration

The Bayou Bienvenue wetlands extend from the Lower 9th Ward in the City of New Orleans to the Lake Borgne Surge Barrier. The wetlands and surrounding communities were heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and have been identified as a priority restoration project in Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan.

Behavioral Health Services

Behavioral Health Services seeks to deliver support services to juveniles and families residing in and around the Greater New Orleans area. BHS offers Parenting Education for both Teens and Adults, as well as a youth Anger Management group.

Benchmarking & Building Performance Standards

Some of the most energy-consuming structures in New Orleans are large commercial buildings. In 2018, the City launched a Downtown Energy Challenge with the Downtown Development District to encourage large buildings to track their energy use, known as “benchmarking,” and take steps to reduce it.

Blue Bikes Program

The City of New Orleans, in partnership with the local non-profit Blue Krewe, relauched Blue Bikes on August 23, 2021 with a new fleet of over 500 pedal-assist e-bikes. Residents and visitors can access bike share by downloading the Blue Bikes Nola app.

Brownfields Program

The CPC Brownfield Program is tasked with supporting project redevelopment and environmental clean-up. Following the EPA guidelines for cleanup and reuse are essential to ensure the contamination does not affect the quality of life of residents. Brownfield funding help to bridge the financial gap when expensive contamination/assessment and clean-up are needed.

Business Incentives & Sustainability

The City of New Orleans and its partners offer a variety or programs that provide resources that help local businesses save money and operate more sustainably.

CEO Works

The City of New Orleans contracted with the nonprofit, CEO Works, to provide transitional employment for citizens coming home from incarceration. Participants work 4 days a week doing blight reduction and grass-cutting and attend professional development one day a week, which includes soft skills training and resume development.

Chapter 66 Lot Abatement Program

The City of New Orleans’ can cut the grass on private property when the owners’ fail to do so.

Christmas Tree Recycling

The New Orleans Christmas Tree Recycling Program, a 25-year partnership between the city, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Louisiana Army National Guard, collects residents' Christmas trees each January. These trees are placed in the Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge to protect the marsh, reduce erosion, and create habitats for local wildlife.

Civic Leadership Academy

Held every Spring and every Fall, Civic Leadership Academy (CLA) is an engaging 8-week program that provides residents with an in-depth look at City government.

CleanUpNOLA

CleanUpNOLA is a comprehensive, coordinated initiative combining the efforts of multiple City departments and the community to make New Orleans shine.

CNO AmeriCorps VISTA Program

The CNO AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program, led by the City of New Orleans Mayor's Office, is a federal grant program that tackles the nation's most pressing challenges by connecting individuals and organizations through service and volunteering.

Coffee on Your Corner

In an effort to accommodate residents who are less inclined to attend public meetings in the evenings outside of their communities, we've created Coffee on Your Corner to bring City government to you.

Community Crisis Intervention Team

A community-based intervention that interrupts conflicts before they turn violent by using culturally competent messengers as violence interrupters and mediators. With nine current staff members, the organization responds to shootings victims and their families at both UMC and New Orleans East Hospital and attempts to diffuse conflict and prevent retaliation.

Community Office Hours

This program enables City Hall to be accessible and helpful to more residents within neighborhoods.

Community Outreach Programs

New Orleans EMS Community Outreach focuses on preventative health and safety education for citizens of Orleans Parish, developing and implementing interactive programs to aid in the mission of saving lives.

Complete Streets Program

Complete Streets is an approach to creating a more comprehensive and integrated transportation network that balances the needs of all users traveling in the public right-of-way, including people walking, bicycling, driving, and using transit.

Cultural Districts Program

The primary goal of the Cultural Products District (CPD) is to revitalize the communities and contribute to the lives and livelihoods of the citizens by creating locally driven hubs of cultural activity. The program provides two incentives for communities to create or rebuild cultural destination

Cultural Economy Funding Program

The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy is happy to announce that it is now accepting applications for the 2024 Grant Funding Program.

Device Repair Clinic

The City of New Orleans is proud to partner with NORDC, STEM NOLA, and the New Orleans Public Library to host the Reconnect NOLA initiative - a series of free community tech repair clinics aimed at helping residents get their devices up and running.

Digital Skills Classes

Direct Homebuyer Assistance Program

The Direct Homebuyer Soft Second Mortgage Assistance Program provides down payment and closing costs subsidies to eligible first- time homebuyers. Subsidies made available to Homebuyers Bridge the gap between the purchase price of the home and the maximum first mortgage loan amount. Subsidies also include closing costs.

Drug Court

The Orleans Parish Juvenile Drug Court Program is a treatment –centered system that assists juveniles with substance abuse problems and their families in leading productive, substance e-free and crime-free lives. The program offers intensive rehabilitative services in a structured and supportive environment.

Electronic Monitoring Program

The Orleans Parish Juvenile Court (OPJC) uses electronic monitoring technology, as provided by the City of New Orleans through the Orleans Parish Sherriff’s Office (OPSO)

Emergency Rental Assistance

Orleans Parish's Emergency Rental Assistance Program (NOERAP) serves eligible persons who, because of the COVID-19 emergency, are past due on rent and lack sufficient income or resources to become current.

Enterprise Zone

The Enterprise Zone program is a package of tax credits and sales tax rebates available to businesses locating in officially designated Enterprise Zones and Economic Development Zones

Equitable Business Opportunities (EBO) Program

The City's Equitable Business Opportunities (EBO) Program is designed to mitigate the effects of past and present social and economic disadvantage, and discrimination by increasing the utilization of disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) in the procurement of goods and services by the City of New Orleans.

Faith-Based Initiative

Family in Need of Services

The Families in Need of Services (FINS) became effective in all courts having juvenile jurisdiction on July 1, 1994, as Title VII of the Louisiana Children’s Code.

Fortified Roof Program

The Mayor’s Office of Housing Policy and Community Development in partnership with non-profit organization Rebuilding Together New Orleans

Fund Balance Projects for General Fund

As the City entered the 2023 budget year, it did so with a substantial Unassigned Fund Balance — a testament to prudent fiscal management throughout the challenges posed by the pandemic. Coupled with federal funding, the Cantrell Administration has led the effort to allocate a portion of the City’s Unassigned Fund Balance to high-priority projects aimed at creating a safe and vibrant city.

Gentilly Resilience District

Girls Reaching Out Works Wonders

The G.R.O.W.W. Program will provide an education, inspirational and supervised environment for low to medium risk young women currently involved with the Orleans Parish Juvenile court.

Graffiti Abatement

The City of New Orleans has launched a graffiti abatement initiative designed to address the city's long-standing issues with graffiti vandalism.

Green Infrastructure Toolkit

The Green Infrastructure Toolkit is currently under development by ORS in conjunction with Dana Brown & Associates. The GI Toolkit will encompass design standards and specification for Green infrastructure related projects as well as stormwater permit submissions. These details will include Standard Engineering details needed to properly design and Green Infrastructure project.

Health & Safety Program

For homeowners that applied to the City of New Orleans, Health and Safety Program in 2019, there have been some recent changes in the process of the program. The Office of Community Development will no longer directly implement the program.

Hurricane Ida Insurance Deductible Assistance Program

The City of New Orleans, Hurricane Deductible Program, has temporarily stopped accepting new applications due to the overwhelming number of applications received. However, we anticipate re-opening the program once additional funding has been secured.

Hydrologic and Hydraulic (H&H) Studies

ORS is currently undertaking three drainage studies, commonly referred to as Hydrologic and Hydraulic (H&H) Studies, which aims to develop a comprehensive conceptual design focusing on feasible, high-quality, fair, and cost-effective solutions for the project area. These studies delineate specific watersheds within a pump station basin, enabling a more detailed analysis of the neighborhood.

Information for Employers

Thank you for expressing interest in Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program(MSYEP). The MSYEP brings together private sector employers, community-based organizations, Federal government, and local government agencies to provide youth who are between the ages of 16-24 with an array of summer work experiences to cultivate and stimulate professional and personal career aspirations.

Intake

Screening and Assessment: The Intake & Assessment unit serves as the entry point to the juvenile justice system, evaluating all youth who have been arrested using an objective decision-making tool known as the Risk Assessment Instrument (RAI)

Isaac Recovery Program

JOB1 YouthWorks

Our YouthWorks program is designed to help young adult career-seekers remove the obstacles to employment through a variety of service

Jumpstart Program

On April 6, the City launched an eight-week program to connect young people who are disconnected from work and school with soft-skills training and employment opportunities through the City's Office of Workforce Development. After the two-month program, participants will be connected with a nine-month job experience and extended case management.

Junior Civic Leadership Academy

JCLA is an engaging program that provides youth with an in-depth look at city government. The program includes hands-on demonstrations and presentations that give participants an insider’s view of how the city of New Orleans operates.

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative

The Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI) was designed to support the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s vision that all youth involved in the juvenile justice system have opportunities to develop into healthy, productive adults.

Juvenile Justice Model Court Project

Orleans Parish Juvenile Court (OPJC) has made a commitment toward improving its handling of juvenile delinquency cases by joining the Juvenile Justice Model Courts Project of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)

Lincoln Beach Redevelopment

Mayor for a Day Essay Contest

The “Mayor for a Day” program aims to foster and encourage leadership in young people living in New Orleans. New Orleans youth ages 11 to 18 are invited to write essays about what New Orleans would be like if they were Mayor for a day.

Mayor's Youth Advisory Council

OYF and Neighborhood Engagement Office are pleased to announce an exciting development. Starting Fall 2023, the Junior Civic Leadership Academy (JCLA) will take place through the first three sessions of each term of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council (MYAC). This program engages young people in policy-making and providing a platform for youth voice in government.

Mediate NOLA

Mediate NOLA is a new initiative that provides free mediation and conflict resolution services to address neighborhood disputes. Through direct communication and compromise, we can establish respectful and ongoing relationships that help neighbors to peacefully coexist and thrive.

Men Engaging in Leadership and Opportunity Works

MELOW is a pre-adjudicatory program designed to serve as an alternative to secure detention, intervention/prevention course of action, and mentoring program for teen male status offenders and post adjudication probation teen males. The mission of the MELOW Program is to provide additional support to at-risk youth who are involved in delinquent and/or high-risk behaviors.

Mobility and Safety

Mow to Own Program

The Mow-to-Own, Good Neighbor Opportunity Program empowers adjacent property owners to acquire qualifying properties adjudicated to the City of New Orleans.

Download the Proposed Regulations

Music Census

The New Orleans Music Census is more than just a study - it's a vital exploration of the heartbeat of a city renowned for its musical heritage. By delving into the entire local music ecosystem, we're shedding light on the diverse tapestry of artists, venues, and supporters, fostering a deeper understanding of the cultural significance and economic impact of music in New Orleans.

Musicians Loading/Unloading Zones

Musicians in New Orleans need safe and convenient ways to load their instruments and equipment into venues. The Mayors Office of Nighttime Economy has identified locations around the city that have designated loading zones near venue.

Neighborhood Cares Initiative

City departments cut over 40 overgrown lots, trimmed over 70 trees, removed 10 dead trees, filled potholes, cleaned catch basins, and cleared dumping sites throughout the neighborhood. At the community resource fair, 21 city agencies and nonprofits engaged residents and provided them with useful information.

Neighborhood Leaders' Roundtable

Public Safety is a priority for all of us! Come hear from the City’s Public Safety leaders as they engage with you!

Neighborhood Participation Program

The purpose of the Neighborhood Participation Program for Land Use actions is to provide timely notification of any proposed land use action affecting a neighborhood and to provide the opportunity for meaningful neighborhood review of and comment on such proposals.

Neighborhood Summit

NOLA Youth Works

The Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program provides quality summer experiences that build a pipeline to career opportunities for local youth ages 13-24.

The focus of the summer employment program is to expose participants to careers of interest with the intention of creating a career ready workforce.

Youth will earn while they gain experience to define their career goals.

Orleans Detention Alternative Program

ODAP is a pre-adjudication alternative to detention program that seeks to ensure that youth will return for court appearances and do not re-offend while under supervision. ODAP Youth Advocates work with youth who are high need but not high risk to the community.

Parent Leadership Training Institute

The Office of Youth and Families is proud to partner with the National Parent Leadership Institute (NPLI) to bring the Parent Leadership Training Institute to the City of New Orleans.

Pathways Youth Internship Program

In partnership with the Gracefully Mindful Wellness Institute, Pathways is a year-round workforce readiness and personal development program for 14-17 year old system-involved youth that seeks to mitigate youth poverty, unemployment, and recidivism by providing them with paid work internships, workshops focused on conflict resolution, mindfulness, and soft skills development.

Police Community Advisory Board

The Police Community Advisory Board (PCAB) is a district-based participation structure that creates one seven-member PCAB per NOPD District (8 total). PCAB members serve a 24-month term.

Pollution Prevention

The City of New Orleans is responsible for maintaining and testing the groundwater for potential pollution for several closed landfills and incinerator sites which it owns. These sites were used to receive municipal solid waste.

Project Why

Project Why works to build trust by empowering residents, stakeholders, and City staff to identify challenges and create solutions that meet peoples’ needs.

Quality Jobs Program

The Quality Jobs Program provides a refundable tax credit as an incentive to encourage the targeted businesses to locate in Louisiana, create quality jobs, and to promote economic development.

Racial Equity

"We must address racial inequality with every tool at our disposal and challenge ourselves and our colleagues to create better outcomes for our residents of color." Mayor LaToya Cantrell

Recycle Dat: Mardi Gras Recycling

The City of New Orleans in partnership with New Orleans & Company, Grounds Krewe, and several local organizations launched a pilot program in 2023 to make Mardi Gras more sustainable. With the help of the Recycle Dat Coalition partners, the City recycled 1,475 pounds of aluminum, 1,500 pounds of glass, and 11,535 pounds of Mardi Gras beads and throws during the 2023 Carnival Season.

Restitution/Community Service

The main goals of restitution and community service programs are to hold offenders personally accountable for their crimes and to make reparations to victims either directly or indirectly

Restoration Tax Abatement (RTA) Program

The Restoration Tax Abatement (RTA) Program provides to commercial property owners and homeowners who expand, restore, improve, or develop an existing structure in a downtown development district.

Restore Louisiana

The City of New Orleans has been awarded $11,720,109 in Disaster Recovery funds by the State of Louisiana Office of Community Development. This allocation includes $7,002,068 for the Hometown Revitalization Program (HRP) and $4,718,041 for the Resilient Communities Infrastructure Program (RCIP).

RoadWork

The City of New Orleans Department of Public Works (DPW) and Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) are working together to implement an unprecedented program to restore our damaged infrastructure. Using local and federal funds, the $2.3B program is the most comprehensive that our region has seen in a generation.

RTA Hospitality Service Pilot Program

The Mayors Office of Nighttime Economy is working in partnership with the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority to conduct a post COVID transit survey aimed at providing better service to Central Business District and French Quarter hospitality workers.

Safe Streets for All

Death and injury on our city streets can be dramatically reduced or minimized by creating better public spaces. Public safety is a top priority for the Cantrell Administration. With the leadership of the Department of Public Works and Office of Resilience & Sustainability, New Orleans officially embraces a new commitment to dramatically increase the safety of the City’s streets.

Senior Citizen Engagement

The Senior Citizen Engagement Initiative is a program that connects aging adults (62 or older) to resources, encourages community engagement, faciliates social participation, and brings awareness to issues aging adults face daily.

Service Industry Harm Reduction Workshops

In conjunction with City (insert City Health Dept. link) and State health officials the Office of Nighttime Economy has been working to train hospitality workers in the administration of Narcan. The goal is to have Narcan behind every bar. Interested in receiving a kit? Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Slow Internet Challenge

This challenge will collect evidence for residents that are experiencing problems with their internet service. Successful challenges may result in funding for the improvement of internet service and faster connection speeds.

Slow Streets Intiative

The Slow Streets initiative is a collaboration between the City's Health Department, the Department of Public Works and ORS. This temporary traffic modification is being implemented as part of the City’s COVID-19 response under the Slow Streets initiative, which aims to provide additional space for safe social distancing where crowding occurs.

Solar for All

The Solar for All program aims to connect residents of New Orleans to affordable solar and battery leasing and purchasing options that will lower energy bills and residential carbon footprints, while also improving electric reliability and resilience in the face of extreme weather events.

Summer Connects

The Summer Success Initiative seeks to increase financial stability, employment access, and positive social support over the summer for system involved youth by assisting them with the enrollment processes at NORDC and the Mayor's Summer Employment Youth Program. Youth are provided with case management and transportation support if needed.

Tax Incentive Programs

The City of New Orleans is committed to supporting the growth and success of businesses within the city, recognizing their vital role in strengthening the local economy and improving the quality of life for residents. To achieve this goal, the City offers a range of incentive programs designed to help businesses expand, relocate, or retain their operations in New Orleans.

Urban Reforestation

Trees can act as a natural solution to many of the issues New Orleans faces, from retaining stormwater to reducing urban heat and the “heat island effect”. Unfortunately, Hurricane Katrina devastated the urban canopy, with some estimates of the number of lost trees upwards of 200,000.

Utility Assistance Program

VIGOR Volunteer Program

The New Orleans EMS VIGOR program allows volunteers to work alongside of New Orleans EMS employees providing patient care to the visitors and citizens of New Orleans. VIGOR is the acronym for Volunteer in Government of Responsibility. The VIGOR Program is often a stepping stone for potential employees.

Welcoming America

Welcoming America is a nonprofit organization that is putting inclusive communities on the path to becoming better and welcoming across the board by solidifying that all residents, including immigrants, belong. This network supports cities and recommends strategic approaches to improve and prepare cities to welcome immigrants and refugees.

Young Adult Engagement

Are you ready to be heard, inspired, and make a difference? Introducing our Young Adult Engagement initiative, a vibrant platform designed exclusively for passionate young minds like yours!

Search and Find Permits

Brake & Bike Tags

Contractor Info For Residents

Permits & Licenses

Permitting Help & Support

Programs & Initiatives

Affordable Housing Programs

Industrial Tax Exemption Program

Accessibility of Streets and Sidewalks

Accessibility of Streets and Sidewalks

Additional Resources

Adopt a Catch Basin

Affordable Parking for Hospitality Workers

Agriculture Street Landfill Solar Park

Ban the Box Initiative

Barber’s and Beauticians Collective Fellowship Program

Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Restoration

Behavioral Health Services

Benchmarking & Building Performance Standards

Blue Bikes Program

Brownfields Program

Business Incentives & Sustainability

CEO Works

Chapter 66 Lot Abatement Program

Christmas Tree Recycling

Civic Leadership Academy

CleanUpNOLA

CNO AmeriCorps VISTA Program

Coffee on Your Corner

Community Crisis Intervention Team

Community Office Hours

Community Outreach Programs

Complete Streets Program

Cultural Districts Program

Cultural Economy Funding Program

Device Repair Clinic

Digital Skills Classes

Direct Homebuyer Assistance Program

Drug Court

Electronic Monitoring Program

Emergency Rental Assistance

Enterprise Zone

Equitable Business Opportunities (EBO) Program

Faith-Based Initiative

Family in Need of Services

Fortified Roof Program

Fund Balance Projects for General Fund

Gentilly Resilience District

Girls Reaching Out Works Wonders

Graffiti Abatement

Green Infrastructure Toolkit

Health & Safety Program

Hurricane Ida Insurance Deductible Assistance Program

Hydrologic and Hydraulic (H&H) Studies

Information for Employers

Intake

Isaac Recovery Program

JOB1 YouthWorks

Jumpstart Program

Junior Civic Leadership Academy

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative

Juvenile Justice Model Court Project

Lincoln Beach Redevelopment

Mayor for a Day Essay Contest

Mayor's Youth Advisory Council

Mediate NOLA

Men Engaging in Leadership and Opportunity Works

Mobility and Safety

Mow to Own Program

Music Census

Musicians Loading/Unloading Zones

Neighborhood Cares Initiative

Neighborhood Leaders' Roundtable

Neighborhood Participation Program

Neighborhood Summit

NOLA Youth Works

Orleans Detention Alternative Program

Parent Leadership Training Institute

Pathways Youth Internship Program

Police Community Advisory Board