La. Stat. Ann. § R.S. 40:507
Community participation
Operative Text
§507. Community participation A. A local housing authority may require, as a condition to granting or continuing any assistance, that residents and other recipients of such assistance participate in activities for community and neighborhood betterment. Such conditions of assistance may require the performance of work in and around the authority's developments for the maintenance or improvement thereof, the performance of services to benefit residents or others, or work performed elsewhere in the community. Such requirements may vary among individual residents or other recipients of assistance. B. In establishing conditions of assistance and determining the requirements applicable to individual recipients thereof, local housing authorities shall take into account such individual circumstances as the authority deems appropriate in order to assure that, in the authority's judgment, the requirements are reasonably applied. Individual circumstances so taken into account may include, without limitation, age, disability, and employment status. C. A local housing authority may require, as a prerequisite to granting assistance, including any lease or right of occupancy of a dwelling unit, that the resident or recipient enter into a tenant participation plan or other similar agreement which sets forth the conditions of assistance and provides for the discontinuance of tenancy or other assistance in the event of the failure of the resident or recipient to satisfy such conditions. D. Except as and to the extent a local housing authority shall specifically and expressly agree in writing to the contrary, the community participation activities of a resident or other recipient of assistance contemplated by this Section shall not create, for any purpose, a legal relationship of agent/principal or employee/employer between the person performing such community participation activities and the local housing authority requiring such participation or any other public agency for whose benefit such activities may be carried out.
Under La. R.S. § 40:507, local housing authorities in Louisiana are permitted to attach community participation requirements to the receipt of housing assistance, including leases and occupancy rights. These requirements can involve maintenance work, community service, or other neighborhood-improvement activities, and they may differ from one resident to another based on individual circumstances such as age, disability, or employment status. Importantly, the law specifies that performing such activities does not create an employer-employee or principal-agent relationship between the resident and the housing authority.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Local housing authorities operating under La. R.S. § 40:507 generally document community participation conditions in a written tenant participation plan or similar agreement before granting assistance or occupancy. Compliant authorities account for individual circumstances—such as a resident's age, disability, or employment—when setting participation requirements, ensuring those requirements are reasonably applied. Authorities also typically include clear language in agreements specifying that participation activities do not establish an employment or agency relationship with the authority.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
La. R.S. § 40:507 gives residents the right to have their individual circumstances—including age, disability, and employment status—considered before a housing authority imposes community participation conditions on their assistance. If a housing authority requires a tenant participation plan, residents can review that written agreement to understand exactly what is expected and what consequences may follow from non-compliance. Tenants who believe requirements have been applied unreasonably may wish to contact a local tenant-rights organization or legal aid office to explore available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 17, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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