HANO and private developers will ensure that the apartments comply with current accessibility laws. In fact, they are making a $250,000 fund to aid in settling claims made by disabled residents who were injured by accessible housing and pay the $50,000 penalty to the federal government.
Among the properties, there are over 3,600 total rental units with 1,250 units that are covered by accessibility requirements. The properties include Bienville Basin, Columbia Parc, Faubourg Lafitte, Fischer Senior Village, Guste III, Harmony Oaks, Marrero Commons and River Garden. According to the federal government, there are a lot of apartments that will need to undergo the retrofit for accessibility. The Housing Authority of New Orleans and the developers will have three years to complete the project.
Many of the properties were built after Hurricane Katrina with federal funds but they still have to make them accessible. Residents can make a request for modifications sooner and HANO cannot raise rent due to the cost for the updates.
