This section says Louisiana needs tools to help local governments renovate abandoned, blighted, and uninhabitable housing.
§600.32. Legislative findings The legislature finds that: (1) Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed thousands of residential housing units in the state of Louisiana, left thousands of residential housing units in the state substantially damaged in areas that must be repopulated to restore the economic base both of the core disaster areas and of the state, and created an unprecedented housing shortage throughout the state. (2) Significant numbers of displaced residents from core disaster areas who were homeowners may fail to return to their neighborhoods or may be unwilling to make the investment to restore and occupy their housing units if other previously occupied housing units within such neighborhoods become blighted or remain uninhabitable and are permitted to deteriorate by neglect. (3) In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita where thousands of Louisiana residents have been forced to find temporary housing outside of the state and which exodus from the state poses a serious threat to the economic stability of the state and local governmental subdivisions, the existence of blighted and uninhabitable housing units will stagnate reinvestment by property owners wanting to rebuild and will have a negative impact on livability in neighborhoods and communities. The existence of such blighted and uninhabitable housing creates public health problems, diminishes the property values of neighboring properties, has a negative effect on the quality of life of adjacent property owners, increases the risk of property damage through arson and vandalism, and discourages neighborhood stability and revitalization. (4) Many blighted and abandoned residential housing properties should be rehabilitated and preserved to maintain the character of neighborhoods and simultaneously provide an opportunity to local governmental subdivisions to arrange for the renovation or rehabilitation of such residential housing properties to help alleviate the unprecedented housing crisis throughout the state. (5) Local governmental subdivisions and their instrumentalities must be provided an additional tool in order to access and invest funds to renovate abandoned, blighted, and uninhabitable housing units within a judicially approved framework so that: (a) neighborhoods are not negatively impacted by blighted and abandoned properties; (b) owners will be assured that neighborhoods are safe places to live and that their reinvestment in rebuilding will not be devalued by the negative influence of blighted and abandoned properties in their neighborhood; (c) decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing may be provided to displaced persons and other priority tenants; (d) the statewide housing crisis may be alleviated; and (e) the substantial delays associated with blighted property may be avoided. Acts 2006, No. 355, §1, eff. June 13, 2006.