The City of New Orleans VISTA program is implemented by the Office of Mayor LaToya Cantrell and [Office of Housing Policy and Community Development]. The City is seeking passionate individuals to build capacity to break the cycle of poverty and empower our community. The Office of Housing Policy and Community Development (OCD) facilitates the development and preservation of quality housing and suitable living environments for persons of low and moderate income through strategic investments and partnerships with public, private, philanthropic, non-profit, and resident stakeholders.
OCD’s vision is one where all New Orleanians live in vibrant neighborhoods with a range of safe, quality housing options that are affordable to them and with access to jobs, services and neighborhood amenities that support their families and well-being. The goals of this project are to identify any inefficiencies in the program’s policies and procedures and to institute tracking mechanisms to better facilitate the programs. The VISTA member working towards these goals will benefit many of our residents in need of vital necessities, such as shelter. Through building the capacity of the program to run more efficiently, more community members are served and the outcomes for those households become much brighter.
Service Activities
Throughout one year of service, the VISTA member will work to support operations within the Office of Community Development (OCD) by evaluating processes, facilitating data management and reporting to improve the effectiveness of the office. The Office’s primary goal is to provide and maintain housing for the lowest income earning households. The VISTA will gain experience working with the housing programs, but more importantly, will help the City in serving populations that lack affordable housing due to inadequate income by:
(1) Creating department strategies to improve services provided by OCD management and departments.
(2) Creating and implementing a long-term data management and tracking system with checks and balances.
(3)Updating the current policies and procedures manual based on his/her findings.
Community Need Addressed
The CNO VISTA Program supports City Hall by implementing sustainable capacity building projects to increase the effectiveness of each department.
Position Outcomes
Our VISTA members help the City strengthen existing services and provide more services for underserved and disproportionately impacted communities.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Non-competitive eligibility (federal jobs), Relocation allowance (if applicable), Student loan forbearance
Education Benefits
College Degree
N/A
Skills you will gain
Professional Development
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Provide relevant expertise, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them
Tools
Carefully consider which tools or technological solutions are appropriate for a given job, Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Demonstrate the effective allocation of time and resources efficiently, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization