Any municipality may provide support for poor and needy people within its jurisdiction, and may use several program types and funding methods to do so.
CHAPTER 19. MUNICIPAL ANTI-POVERTY POWERS §7501. Power to provide for support of poor Any municipality shall have the power and authority to provide for the support of the poor and necessitous within their respective jurisdictions by taxation or otherwise; the powers granted under this section shall include, but not be limited to the following powers: A. For the assistance of the unskilled poor; low-income persons; disadvantaged persons; unemployed persons; students from low-income families; the chronically unemployed poor; geographic areas having large concentrations or proportions of such persons; and rural areas having substantial migration to urban areas, appropriately focused to assure that work and training opportunities are extended to the most severely disadvantaged persons who can be reasonably expected to profit from the opportunities presented, and which are supported by specific commitments of cooperation from private and public employers; by all appropriate programs, activities, means or methods including, but not limited to the following: (a) Day care and preschool activities; (b) Special, remedial and other noncurricular assistance to elementary and secondary school age children, including precollege assistance; (c) Literacy courses and other adult basic education programs; (d) Legal advice and representation, where other adequate representation cannot be found; (e) Specialized and comprehensive neighborhood health services programs, including alcoholism programs; and including operation of health services physical facilities; (f) Emergency food and medical assistance to prevent starvation and counteract malnutrition; (g) Family planning and assistance therein by all appropriate means, in a manner consistent with individual moral, philosophical, and religious beliefs; (h) Programs to provide employment for persons over 55, and services and recreation for persons age 60 and over, including establishment of recreation and service centers run by the elderly themselves; (i) Neighborhood centers controlled by neighborhood residents providing a variety of appropriate services and activities, including those described elsewhere in this listing as determined by the residents; (j) Neighborhood organization and improvement programs; (k) Poor people's cooperatives; including credit unions and consumer cooperatives as well as usual types of producer, marketing, and distributing cooperatives; (l) Consumer education; (m) Housing development and services organizations, including development of programs and services, under other federal housing legislation, for needy tenants and homeowners, but not including mortgage loans and long-term capital financing; (n) Employment and manpower training; (o) Youth employment and activities; (p) Individual and family counseling and referral to other local services; (q) Cash grant and loan assistance to poor individuals and families to meet immediate needs; (r) Voter education, but not including actual assistance in voting or registering to vote; (s) Assistance to small neighborhood businesses of the poor or disadvantaged; (t) Agricultural assistance in rural areas; (u) Economic development activities; (v) Training and technical assistance to carry out any of the projects in (a) through (u); (w) Planning and development of any of the projects in (a) through (v); (x) Evaluation of any of the projects in (a) through (w); Provided, however, nothing herein provided shall extend or restrict, or have any effect upon any powers of expropriation by the police jury. B. To receive and administer funds from the United States under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 of the United States, and any amendments thereto including Public Law 90-222 of December 23, 1967;1 funds and contributions from private or local sources; or the State of Louisiana, to be used pursuant to the purposes and provisions of this section. C. To transfer any funds received in accordance with the preceding paragraph, and in further pursuance of such purposes; to delegate appropriate powers to other agencies, and to enter into appropriate agreements and commitments with the United States and/or any of the several agencies thereof as may be necessary or appropriate in the exercise of the powers granted in this section. D. Avail itself of the provisions and authority established and granted in R.S. 33:1321 through 33:1332, both inclusive, in the exercise of the powers herein granted. E. To act as and perform the functions of a Community Action Agency under the terms and provisions of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, of the United States, and amendments thereto.1 Added by Acts 1968, No. 11, §1, emerg. eff. July 2, 1968, at 3:53 P.M. 142 U.S.C.A. §2711 et seq.