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Louisiana Housing Corporation’s Nicole Sweazy to Chair Governor’s Council on Homelessness

Published on August 28, 2017 by Louisiana Housing Corporation
Louisiana Housing Corporation’s Nicole Sweazy to Chair Governor’s Council on Homelessness

BATON ROUGE, LA — The Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) is pleased to announce that Nicole Sweazy has been selected to chair the Governor’s Council on Homelessness (Council).

“Louisiana is blessed with abundance in many ways and with those blessings comes the responsibility to care for the least among us,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “I am grateful to Nicole Sweazy for her willingness to chair my council on homelessness and guide our state in reducing homelessness with her wealth of experience working to create new resources and connect them with those who need help most.”

The council serves to advise the Governor on issues concerning the operations of homeless services, program operations, and program development efforts.

Sweazy serves as executive director of the Louisiana Housing Authority (LHA), a subsidiary of the LHC. She is responsible for administering funds to help homeless and disabled households with rental assistance, homeless prevention, rapid rehousing and supportive services.

“It is an honor to serve as the chair of the Governor’s Council on Homelessness,” said Sweazy. “I look forward to continuing the work set forth in Ma Maison [Louisiana’s 10-year plan to prevent and end homelessness] and building on the great accomplishments already made. Together, we will end homelessness in Louisiana.”

Louisiana’s homeless rate is declining. From 2011 to 2014, chronic homelessness decreased by 80 percent and veteran homelessness dropped by 60 percent. Overall, homelessness in Louisiana has declined 63 percent since 2010.

In 2014, in response to the White House initiative to end veteran homelessness, the LHC and LHA partnered with mayors and local Continuum of Care (CoC) agencies to strengthen Louisiana’s homeless assistance programs. Sweazy and her team were instrumental in finding permanent supportive housing solutions for veterans across the state. Their efforts helped New Orleans become one of the first cities to end chronic veteran homelessness in the country and the city now serves as a model for others to follow.

“Providing housing solutions that are safe, affordable and offer vital supportive services is critical to ending homelessness in our state,” Sweazy added. “It is the first step towards building a stable foundation and future for people experiencing homelessness.”

More than 2,000 households across the state have received permanent, affordable housing, and the support services needed to retain the housing.

For more information about the LHC, visit www.lhc.la.gov or call (888) 454-2001.

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About Louisiana Housing Corporation
The Louisiana Housing Corporation was created by Act 408 of the 2011 Louisiana Legislative Session. The Corporation administers federal and state funds through programs designed to advance the development of safe, energy-efficient and affordable housing for moderate-to-low income families.

About Louisiana Housing Authority
The Louisiana Housing Authority, a subsidiary of the Louisiana Housing Corporation, serves severely disabled and homeless individuals by providing funding for rental assistance, supportive services, shelter operations, homeless prevention and rapid re-housing assistance.

Media Contact
Na’Tisha Natt
Director of Public Affairs
nnatt@lhc.la.gov | (225) 763-8720