Preparation of the housing element was facilitated through a parish-funded cooperative
endeavor agreement with the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission (RPC). The RPC's
prime consultant, Burk-Kleinpeter, Inc., then subcontracted with the University of
New Orleans' College of Urban and Public Affairs and Timothy E. Joder, AICP, to prepare
the element.
A technical advisory committee (TAC) was appointed by the Jefferson Parish Planning
Department in consultation with the housing element team. TAC appointees represented
a wide range of housing expertise - lenders, realtors, civic representatives, landowners,
special needs group advocates, planners, housing agencies, and others with specific
technical expertise or housing related interests. The TAC's primary responsibility
was to work cooperatively with the consultant to prepare the goals, objectives, policies,
and tasks to be presented to the citizens' advisory committee (CAC), the parish president/parish
council appointed body legally charged with making recommendations for plan adoption
to the parish council. Six (6) TAC workshops were held.
As with all elements of Envision Jefferson, the development of the housing element
was citizen-driven. Many issues and concerns addressed in the element were identified
and discussed at a major public workshop cosponsored by the Civil League of East Jefferson
and the Westbank Civic Coalition in 2004. Following the endorsement of the draft goals,
objectives, policies, and revised implementation strategy table by the CAC in the
Fall of 2006, they were presented to the same groups at two (2) workshops held in
November 2006, one (1) on the eastbank, and one (1) on the westbank. Citizens were
offered additional opportunities to comment on the proposed element at two (2) planning
advisory board public hearings and one (1) parish council public hearing.
