Audit reveals a lack of a strategic plan to combat homelessness in New Orleans

(The Center Square) − A recent audit details New Orleans’ efforts to combat homelessness, despite the city and UNITY of Greater New Orleans spending $216.3 million on initiatives between January 2019 and June 2024, mostly from federal funds. While the audit by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office reveals a great deal of progress and effort to combat homelessness in the city, the report also highlights a lack of cohesive strategy and inadequate oversight of shelters as key concerns. “This section glosses over UNITY’s plan for reducing homelessness, including sheltered homelessness,” UNITY said in response to the auditor’s conclusion. “The plan created by our CoC, including local governmental officials, was so excellent it was chosen by HUD as the basis for awarding the highly competitive Unsheltered Homelessness grant. UNITY always supports our governmental partners’ efforts – New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, Kenner & the State — to create their own plans for their political jurisdictions, in addition to having our own CoC-wide plans. We agree there is a need for more collaboration between the CoC & OHSS at a time when homelessness has become a contentious political issue,” Auditors found that the city does not sufficiently monitor shelters to ensure they meet minimum health and safety standards, leaving vulnerable residents at risk. Additionally, the New Orleans Continuum of Care, which includes the city, UNITY, and other service providers, lacks a current strategic plan, leading to disjointed efforts and competing priorities. While the city is developing a long-term plan — which was expected last month — to house 1,500 individuals by the end of 2025, UNITY has not conducted required annual gap analyses or maintained an actionable plan. The audit also pointed to communication breakdowns and accessibility issues, with families struggling to contact UNITY for shelter entry. Despite past successes, such as reducing veteran homelessness to “functional zero” in 2015 and rapid housing efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, the reports says the absence of a unified vision continues to hinder progress. With $252.4 million in federal funds awarded to the area since 2018, auditors urge better collaboration to address these systemic challenges. As far as progress goes, New Orleans reached “functional zero” for veteran homelessness, a goal set in a 2011 10-year plan crafted with UNITY and other stakeholders, according to the auditor. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the city, state, and UNITY teamed up to swiftly house unsheltered individuals in hotels, providing not just shelter but also vaccinations, meals, case management, and security. According to UNITY’s own data, “1727 people experiencing homelessness were newly permanently housed from [September of 2023 to February of 2025].” “Of this total, 356 persons have been housed with UNITY’s new Unsheltered Homelessness grant in 15 months,” according to UNITY. “But in that same timeframe outside of the grant, we housed almost 108 people a month.” Further, 696 people were moved off the street, 200 were moved out of a homeless shelter, 135 veterans were moved off the streets or out of homeless shelters, meaning the persons found more permanent housing. 59 youth were moved off the street or out of shelters. UNITY also helps homeless secure other means of support, such as securing and growing income. “We are disappointed that the LLA report does not do more to enhance public understanding of what is needed to further reduce homelessness and of the use of the competitive federal CoC grants UNITY secures and oversees,” UNITY wrote in a news release.