Louisiana Section 8 Rules: No State Ban on Refusing Vouchers

By Steve Levine · Updated November 3, 2026

Short answer: The most important of the Louisiana Section 8 rules is one that is missing: the state’s fair housing law, La. R.S. 51:2606, does not list source of income, public assistance or housing vouchers as protected traits, so a Louisiana landlord can generally decline a voucher. Once a landlord does sign a voucher lease, though, the federal Housing Choice Voucher rules in 24 CFR 982.310 limit when and how that tenancy can end.

That gap shapes everything else about renting with a voucher in Louisiana. Your search will take longer, your housing authority’s search-time rules matter more, and the landlords who do accept vouchers tend to be the ones who already work with your local agency. This guide covers the agencies that run the program, how their waiting lists open, what state law does and does not protect, and the federal floor that applies once you are housed.

Louisiana Section 8 rules at a glance

Rule	Louisiana	Statute
Can a landlord refuse a voucher?	Generally yes; state fair housing law does not list source of income	La. R.S. 51:2606
Traits the state does protect	Race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, military status, protective or cultural hairstyle, and disability	La. R.S. 51:2606(A)
Your share of rent	Highest of 30% of adjusted monthly income or 10% of gross monthly income (plus other floors)	24 CFR 5.628
Cap when renting above the payment standard	40% of adjusted monthly income at move-in	24 CFR 982.508
Eviction of a voucher tenant	Only by court action, for listed grounds	24 CFR 982.310(f)

Who runs vouchers in Louisiana

There is no single statewide voucher office. Housing Choice Vouchers are handed out by local public housing agencies, usually one per city or parish, and you apply to the agency for the place where you want to live.

Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO). HANO runs the voucher program it calls HCVP for Orleans Parish. Applications go through its online portal, and the site posts notices about voucher walk-in days and appointments.
East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority (EBRPHA). EBRPHA runs vouchers in the capital region. When we checked its site, both its voucher list and its affordable housing list were closed. It says it accepts applications only during open enrollment, announced by newspaper notice and on its website.
Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC). The state housing finance agency is not a general voucher office, but LHC lists Permanent Supportive Housing, project-based vouchers, veterans housing and a Non-Elderly Disabled voucher among its rental programs. It also points renters to LAHousingSearch.org, a free listing site.

Outside New Orleans and Baton Rouge, smaller parish and city housing authorities run their own lists. HUD keeps a directory of every agency, and it is worth applying to more than one if you can live in more than one place.

How Louisiana waiting lists actually work

Most Louisiana lists open for a short window, take applications, and then close for months or years. EBRPHA’s practice of announcing openings in the newspaper is common. Getting on a list is not the same as getting a voucher: agencies pull names according to their own preference rules, and you must keep your contact information current or risk being dropped when your name comes up.

Can a Louisiana landlord refuse Section 8?

Usually, yes. Louisiana’s Equal Housing Opportunity Act makes it unlawful to refuse to rent because of the traits listed in La. R.S. 51:2606(A)(1): race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, military status, and natural, protective or cultural hairstyle. Disability is covered separately in subsection (A)(6). Source of income is not on the list, and the section does not mention vouchers or public assistance at all.

We could not confirm any local ordinance in Louisiana that adds source of income as a protected class, so we do not claim one here. If you live in a larger city, ask your housing authority or the city’s human relations office whether a local rule applies before you assume you have no recourse.

There are still limits on a refusal. A “no Section 8” policy cannot be a cover for turning away families with children, people of a particular race, or a disabled applicant who needs a reasonable accommodation. If a landlord’s explanation shifts depending on who is asking, that is the kind of pattern fair housing groups test for.

The federal rules that follow your voucher

Federal regulations, not Louisiana statutes, set how much you pay. Under 24 CFR 5.628, your total tenant payment is the highest of 30 percent of monthly adjusted income, 10 percent of monthly gross income, any welfare amount designated for housing, or the agency’s minimum rent. If you pick a unit whose rent tops the payment standard, 24 CFR 982.508 stops your share from going above 40 percent of adjusted monthly income when you first move in.

The housing authority must inspect the unit before the lease starts and at least every two years afterward, under 24 CFR 982.405. Your income and household are re-checked at least once a year under 24 CFR 982.516, and the agency sets its own rules for reporting changes between reviews.

Ending a voucher tenancy in Louisiana

A voucher landlord may end your tenancy during the lease only for a serious or repeated lease violation, a law violation tied to the unit, or other good cause, and in the first lease term “other good cause” is mostly off the table unless your household caused the problem (24 CFR 982.310(a) and (d)). The landlord must give you written notice of the grounds and send the housing authority a copy of any eviction notice. Most important, the owner “may only evict the tenant from the unit by instituting a court action.” Louisiana’s own court procedure still governs the case itself; see our Louisiana eviction process guide.

Applying: what to have ready

Photo ID for adults and Social Security cards or numbers for everyone in the household.
Birth certificates for children.
Proof of every income source: pay stubs, benefit letters, child support records, and unemployment statements.
Bank statements and records of any assets.
Your current address and a phone number and email you will check for years, since that is how agencies contact you.
Records of disability or veteran status if an agency gives preferences for them.

Apply online where the agency allows it, save the confirmation, and log in to check your status. HANO’s applicant account is set up for exactly that.

Worked example: a voucher search in Baton Rouge

Danielle, a home health aide in Baton Rouge, earns $2,100 a month. Using the $480 per-dependent deduction printed in 24 CFR 5.611 (HUD adjusts it each year) for her two children, her adjusted monthly income works out to $2,020. Thirty percent of that is $606, which beats 10 percent of her gross income ($210), so her base payment is $606 if her rent and utilities fall within the payment standard.

She finds a duplex where the gross rent is $150 above the payment standard. Her share would become $756, about 37 percent of adjusted income, which is under the 40 percent cap, so the agency can approve it. A second landlord tells her on March 3 that he “doesn’t take Section 8.” Because R.S. 51:2606 does not protect source of income, that refusal is lawful in itself, and she moves on. You can run your own numbers with our Section 8 rent calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Louisiana have a state-run voucher like some other states?

Not a general one. The Louisiana Housing Corporation lists targeted programs such as Permanent Supportive Housing and a Non-Elderly Disabled voucher, but everyday Housing Choice Vouchers come from local housing authorities like HANO and EBRPHA.

Is “No Section 8” in a Louisiana listing illegal?

Under state law it generally is not, because La. R.S. 51:2606 does not cover source of income. It becomes a problem only if it is used to screen out a protected group, such as families with children or a particular race.

Can I move my New Orleans voucher to Baton Rouge?

Federal portability rules in 24 CFR 982.353 generally let you use a voucher anywhere a housing agency runs the program. If you did not live in the issuing agency’s area when you applied, you may have no right to move it during your first 12 months, though the agency can allow it.

Can my Louisiana voucher landlord just stop renewing because of Section 8?

During the lease, the landlord needs a ground listed in 24 CFR 982.310 and must go to court to evict. Ending the arrangement at the end of a term raises separate notice questions, so read your lease and the HUD tenancy addendum.

What should I do if a landlord accepted my voucher and then backed out?

Tell your housing authority right away and ask for more search time if you need it. If the reason given touches a protected trait, a fair housing complaint may be possible even though the voucher itself is not protected.

Your next step is to check whether HANO, EBRPHA or your parish agency has an open list, gather the documents above, and read our overview of how Section 8 works, our Louisiana tenant rights guide and the Louisiana security deposit law before you sign. For other states, see Section 8 rules by state. This is general information, not legal advice; for help with a specific problem, use LSC’s get legal help finder.

Sources

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