About Us

Code Enforcement was formed by City Ordinance in 1956 as a division within the Safety and Permits Department that ensured occupied houses met habitability standards. When the City’s population began to decline in the 1960s, Code Enforcement began inspecting vacant properties and requiring that owners keep them in good condition. As disinvestment accelerated during the 1980’s Mayor Sidney Bartholomew expanded Code Enforcement’s staff and made it a stand-alone department.

When Mayor Landrieu took office in May 2010, New Orleans had the worst blight problem in the nation and no strategy to address it. After extensive public input, research on best practices and advice from national experts, Mayor Landrieu announced an aggressive blight reduction strategy in October 2010 with an ambitious goal of reducing the blight count in New Orleans by 10,000 units by 2014, which the City exceeded. The strategy prioritizes data-driven decision-making, innovative new enforcement policies and opportunities for reinvestment to grow and strengthen neighborhoods. Today, New Orleans as a whole has 15,000 fewer blighted addresses.