Housing (Renters)

This bill is a resolution that asks the Louisiana Housing Corporation to work with other state agencies to study whether it's possible to create a housing assistance program using vacant state-owned property. The program would specifically help state government employees who spend more than 30% of their income on rent, with priority for those spending over 50%. To support this study, the resolution requests that the Division of Administration provide data on available vacant state property and that the State Civil Service Commission supply salary information for state employees. The Louisiana Housing Corporation would then report its findings back to the House of Representatives and the Appropriations Committee.

HB 472 authorizes Louisiana municipalities and parishes to adopt rent stabilization ordinances through a majority vote of their governing authority. The bill creates a new legal framework (R.S. 33:9731) allowing local governments to implement rent stabilization measures, directly affecting landlords and tenants in communities that choose to adopt such rules. Key provisions require local elected officials to vote on implementing these measures, without mandating any specific rent limits or timelines. This is a procedural authorization bill that provides municipalities with the option to address housing affordability through local policy, pending future action by individual cities or parishes. The bill remains in early legislative stages with no current implementation.

HB 292 clarifies Louisiana's security deposit return rules for residential tenants. It requires landlords to return all or part of a security deposit within one month after a lease ends, or up to two months if both parties agree in writing. Landlords may only keep funds to cover legitimate costs like repairs for tenant-caused damage or unreasonable wear, and must provide a detailed written explanation for any retained amount. This directly affects residential tenants and landlords across Louisiana by standardizing deposit return timelines and requiring transparent accounting.

SB 301 directs Louisiana to use surplus state-owned land for affordable housing by requiring the Louisiana Housing Corporation to maintain an annual public inventory of available property. It establishes a process where nonprofit or government housing entities can submit proposals to develop affordable housing on this land, with proposals evaluated based on criteria like the proportion of deeply affordable units (rent ≤30% of income for very low-income residents), nonprofit ownership models, and inclusion of supportive services. The bill directly affects affordable housing entities, which can develop housing for very low-income (≤50% median income), low-income (≤80%), and moderate-income (≤100%) residents, while requiring annual reporting on transferred properties to the legislature. Key mechanisms include mandatory scoring of proposals, cooperative agreements between the Corporation and housing entities, and gubernatorial review for property retention. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.