At the International Downtown Association (IDA) Capitol Hill Fly-In 2024, Downtown Development District of New Orleans partnered with Downtown Development District of Baton Rouge to represent the shared interests of Louisiana Downtowns, meeting with Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the staffs to Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, and Congressman Troy Carter, Sr. to address priority issues.
However, the work does not stop with Downtown leaders’ advocacy. Congressional representatives need to hear from you, their stakeholders. DDD is making it easy to let your representatives know that you support these bills and the continued support needed to make Downtown New Orleans a world-class Downtown.
Specifically, we are asking for Congressional support for:
- $4.1B for Homeless Assistance Grants in 2025
- Increased funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program
- Support for the Qualified Office Conversion Tax Credit to convert obsolete commercial buildings into residential and mixed-use properties.
We have provided some sample language BELOW (in italics) that you can send directly to Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Senator Bill Cassidy, Senator John Kennedy, and Congressman Troy Carter, Sr; please visit the underlined links to reach the representatives’ respective contact pages. To find your designated representative, please visit the link HERE.
Dear Senator/Congressman:
I am a resident/property owner/worker in Downtown New Orleans, the largest employment center in the State of Louisiana. I urge you to support the following programs.
- Ending Homelessness: Providing $4.1B for Homeless Assistance Grants in 2025 to bring us closer to the goal of ending homelessness.
- Improving Public Safety: Providing $520M to their FY2010 level for Byrne/Justice Assistance Grants through the Department of Justice to support community efforts to increase public safety.
- Expanding Affordable Housing: Enact the Qualified Office Conversion Tax Credit to convert obsolete commercial buildings into residential and mixed-use properties.
We look forward to working with you in addressing the issues that impact our Downtown core and identify policy ideas that help make Downtown New Orleans a vibrant and prosperous place to live, work, and play.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
DDD urges all stakeholders and supporters of Downtown New Orleans and Downtowns across the country to let their voices be heard. DDD extends our gratitude to Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the offices of Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, and Congressman Troy Carter Sr., for the gracious hospitality during our time in D.C.