New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is launching a network to help people pay their rent.
The private, philanthropic network is coming together to aid those who are most housing insecure.
Called The Mayor’s Fund, the aim is to head off an expected slew of evictions and help families stay in their homes.
The fund is now accepting tax-deductible donations.
Assistance to tenants is limited to households facing imminent eviction.
Among families facing imminent eviction, families with children, the elderly and people with disabilities are prioritized.
“New Orleanians have a track record of helping our neighbors when disaster strikes and things get tough. We know from firsthand experience that we can’t wait on the cavalry—our community has to be the cavalry,” said Mayor Cantrell. “The COVID-19 pandemic has hit cities and our people disproportionately and the needs have outpaced the resources, but we’re going to get through as we always have, together.”
In early April, the City opened a rental assistance program that received over 8,300 applications, exhausting the available resources.
Cantrell says local governments simply do not have the resources to fill the need.
To contribute to The Mayor's Fund Click Here.
The Mayor's Fund is administered by Forward Together New Orleans (FTNO), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that launched in 2018 by Mayor Cantrell.