§ 40:531 — Appointment of commissioners to local housing authority

Louisiana § 40:531

• Jurisdiction: Louisiana
• Title 40: Public Health and Safety

Text

§531. Appointment of commissioners to local housing authority
A.(1) When the governing body of any municipality or parish, as the case may be,
has determined, by resolution as set forth in R.S. 40:393, that it is expedient to establish a
local housing authority, the chief elected official of the municipality or parish, or if no such
official exists, then the governing body itself shall appoint five persons who shall constitute
the governing body of the local housing authority and shall be called commissioners.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, when the governing
body of the parish of St. John the Baptist has determined, by resolution as set forth in R.S.
40:393, that it is expedient to establish a local housing authority, the governing body of that
parish shall appoint five persons who shall constitute the governing body of the local housing
authority and shall be called commissioners.
(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, when the governing
body of a parish with a population of not more than forty-six thousand five hundred persons
and not less than forty-five thousand five hundred persons based on the latest federal
decennial census has determined by resolution as set forth in R.S. 40:393 that it is expedient
to establish a local housing authority, the chief elected official of the parish shall appoint five
persons who shall constitute the governing body of the local housing authority and who shall
be called commissioners.
B.(1) In the city of New Orleans, the governing authority of the housing authority
shall consist of nine commissioners, at least two of whom shall be tenants of the housing
authority, referred to in this Chapter as "tenant commissioners", and one of whom shall be
appointed as provided in Subparagraph (2)(b) of this Subsection, referred to in this Chapter
as a "landlord commissioner".
(2)(a) Six commissioners, excluding the landlord commissioner, shall be appointed
by the mayor of the city of New Orleans. The two tenant commissioners shall be appointed
by the president of the New Orleans city council from a list of names submitted by the
Citywide Tenants Council, Inc., of the housing authority. The number of names submitted
shall be three for each vacancy to be filled by a tenant commissioner.
(b) The one landlord commissioner shall be appointed by the mayor from a list of
three nominees submitted by the Landlords Advisory Committee. No person who has or who
is seeking a business or financial relationship with the housing authority or who otherwise
has a conflict pursuant to the Code of Governmental Ethics regarding service on the housing
authority shall be eligible to be appointed as a landlord commissioner. The committee shall
meet within sixty days after any mayoral election is concluded or any vacancy in the landlord
commissioner position and shall nominate the list of landlord commissioners as provided in
this Subsection upon a majority vote of the members of the committee present and voting.
The committee shall give notice of the purpose, time, and place of such a meeting through
the landlord portal on the official website of the housing authority or by publication in the
official journal of the city of New Orleans at least seven days prior to the date set for the
hearing.
(c) Repealed by Acts 2019, No. 137, §2.
C. In the parish of Jefferson, the governing authority of the housing authority shall
consist of nine commissioners and, notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
contrary, such commissioners shall be appointed as provided in this Subsection. Seven of
the commissioners shall be appointed by the governing body of the parish. One of such
commissioners shall be appointed by the chief executive officer of the parish. One of such
commissioners shall be a tenant member of the Marrero Tenants Organization and shall be
appointed by the governing authority of said organization.
D. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority shall be governed by a five-member board of commissioners
appointed by the parish president. He shall appoint at least one tenant from housing
developments operated by the authority. The tenant commissioner shall serve in accordance
with R.S. 40:536 and any other applicable provision of law.
E.(1) The legislature hereby finds and declares that it is a matter of public policy and
concern that a tenant of a local housing authority development or recipient of other assistance
from such authority shall be a commissioner of the authority and serve in accordance with
R.S. 40:536 and any other applicable provision of law.
(2) The tenant commissioner shall recuse himself from participating in a matter
which would be in violation of R.S. 42:1112.
(3) The tenant commissioner or the commissioner who is a recipient of other
assistance shall be chosen from a list of names submitted to the appointing authority by
tenants of a local housing authority development. However, no tenant of a local housing
authority shall become or remain a tenant commissioner if delinquent in rental or lease
payments to the housing authority.
F. The local housing authority may permit a per diem to each member of the
commission of the local housing authority in an amount of not less than seventy-five dollars
for each day of his attendance at meetings of the commission from funds of the local housing
authority.

Legislative History

Acts 1997, No. 1188, §1; Acts 2001, No. 80, §1, eff. May 24, 2001; Acts 2003, No. 923, §1; Acts 2008, No. 874, §1, eff. July 9, 2008; Acts 2009, No. 407, §1; Acts 2011, 1 st Ex. Sess., No. 12, §1, eff. June 12, 2011; Acts 2013, No. 333, §1, eff. June 17, 2013; Acts 2014, No. 791, §14; Acts 2015, No. 419, §1; Acts 2019, No. 137, §§1, 2; Acts 2021, No. 302, §1; Acts 2024, No. 228, §1.