UNITY of Greater New Orleans

What UNITY of Greater New Orleans does

UNITY of Greater New Orleans is the HUD-designated Continuum of Care (CoC) collaborative applicant for Louisiana's LA-503 region, covering New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, and Kenner. Founded in 2007 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to coordinate fragmented homeless response systems, the organization functions as the federally authorized hub for housing and services for people experiencing homelessness in the metro area, coordinating a network of 40+ member agencies and serving more than 3,500 individuals nightly. Its core product is regional coordination infrastructure: the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), the Vulnerability Index used for prioritization, the coordinated entry system that allocates housing referrals, and direct programs including the Rosa F. Keller Building (60 units of mixed-income supportive housing acquired in 2012) and the UNITY Warehouse support services program that evolved from the 2020 COVID-19 Street to Hotel to Home Initiative.

The organization's business model is nonprofit and grant-funded rather than commercial: it receives federal HUD CoC and ESG funds as the collaborative applicant, distributes pass-through funding to member agencies, and operates a limited set of direct service programs. Revenue is concentrated on federal appropriations and subject to NOFO competition cycles, with supplemental support from state, local, and philanthropic sources. UNITY is led by Executive Director Martha J. Kegel and Deputy Director Angela Patterson, and reports a documented 87% reduction in homelessness since 2007 and recognition as the CoC that led New Orleans to become the first U.S. city to effectively end veteran homelessness in 2015.

In 2024, the organization became a party to a public legal dispute with Louisiana state legislative auditors over a subpoena seeking confidential client records, raising operational and reputational exposure. UNITY is currently preparing for the 2026 HUD CoC NOFO funding competition and managing a planned leadership transition. The organization sits at the intersection of federal housing policy, regional service delivery, and a politically sensitive client population, making its competitive position dependent on regulatory designation, member-agency relationships, and continuity of federal funding rather than technology or market share in a commercial sense.

Name

UNITY of Greater New Orleans

Legal name

UNITY of Greater New Orleans

Website

https://unitygno.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UNITY of Greater New Orleans is the HUD-designated Continuum of Care collaborative applicant for the New Orleans/Jefferson Parish/Kenner region, coordinating a 40+ agency network serving 3,500+ homeless individuals nightly through federal HUD funding, HMIS data systems, and direct supportive housing programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

Keywords

• Homeless services coordination
• Permanent supportive housing
• Continuum of care administration
• Veteran housing assistance
• Community development services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal HUD Grants: UNITY secures highly competitive federal grants from HUD that provide rent assistance and services to people experiencing homelessness. These grants are distributed to member agencies and overseen by UNITY.
2. Individual Donations: Donations from individuals through platforms like GiveNOLA Day, Network for Good, and direct contributions support outreach teams and housing programs.
3. Corporate/Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations and corporate partners support specific initiatives and programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UNITY of Greater New Orleans is a nonprofit organization that serves as the collaborative applicant for the homeless Continuum of Care (CoC LA-503) in New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, and Kenner. It coordinates a network of 40+ member agencies, conducts street outreach to identify and assist homeless individuals, places clients in permanent supportive housing, and administers competitive federal HUD grants for rent assistance and case management services.

Product overview

UNITY of Greater New Orleans is a nonprofit organization that coordinates community partnerships to end homelessness rather than a technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of direct service programs including street outreach teams, permanent supportive housing placement, Continuum of Care coordination, and the Street to Hotel to Home initiative. UNITY also operates a warehouse for donated furnishings and coordinates a network of 40+ member agencies through the Service Providers & Professionals Association (SPPA). The organization administers highly competitive federal grants for HUD's Continuum of Care program across New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, and Kenner.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Street Outreach / Welcome Home Outreach Team
• Continuum of Care (CoC) Coordination
• Permanent Supportive Housing Placement
• Street to Hotel to Home Initiative
• UNITY Warehouse
• Service Providers & Professionals Association (SPPA)
• Rapid Response for Homeless Veterans
• Homeless Resource Directory
• Point-in-Time Count

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% reduction in homelessness since 2007
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AbsoluteCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember agency of the Continuum of Care collaborative providing healthcare services to homeless individuals
• Boys Town LouisianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember agency providing services to homeless youth and families
• Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New OrleanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember agency providing social services and housing support
• City of New Orleans Office of Community DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing community development funding and coordination
• Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing public housing and Section 8 vouchers for homeless placement
• Covenant HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember agency providing shelter and services to homeless youth
• CrescentCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember agency providing health clinic services including HIV care, behavioral health, and primary care
• Salvation ArmycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember agency providing emergency shelter and social services
• Volunteers of America of Greater New OrleanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember agency providing housing and support services
• NAMI Southeast LouisianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember agency providing mental health support and advocacy
• New Orleans Women & Children's SheltercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember agency providing shelter for women and children
• Greater New Orleans Housing AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization advancing affordable housing solutions
• City of Kenner Office of Community DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner in Kenner, LA within the Continuum of Care region
• Jefferson Parish Community DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner in Jefferson Parish within the Continuum of Care region
• Metropolitan Human Services DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing mental health and substance abuse services

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Houston Coalition for the Homeless: Regional planning body and Continuum of Care lead for the Houston region, coordinating homelessness services and federal funding across a large Gulf Coast metro — comparable CoC collaborative-applicant model.
• Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH): National intermediary that funds and advises supportive housing development and operations — closely aligned with UNITY's permanent supportive housing placement and rapid rehousing work.
• Chicago Coalition for the Homeless: Regional nonprofit advocating for and providing homelessness services in Chicago, with a comparable mix of direct service, advocacy, and member coordination similar to UNITY's CoC role.
• Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance: Nonprofit advocacy and housing alliance for homeless service providers in Massachusetts, operating a comparable regional coalition model to UNITY's SPPA member network.
• Community Solutions: National nonprofit that built the Built for Zero methodology — the data-driven framework UNITY used to achieve functional zero veteran homelessness — making it a direct methodology and outcomes peer.
• Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA): The Continuum of Care collaborative applicant for the Los Angeles region, coordinating HUD homeless funding and a large member agency network — the closest functional analogue to UNITY at much larger scale.
• King County Regional Homelessness Authority: Regional government authority leading homeless response across Seattle/King County, coordinating CoC funding and service delivery — directly comparable to UNITY's LA-503 collaborative applicant function.

Others

• National Low Income Housing Coalition: National advocacy organization focused on affordable housing supply and policy — adjacent to UNITY's mission, addressing the root-cause housing affordability issues UNITY identifies as driving post-pandemic homelessness.
• Volunteers of America: National nonprofit that operates as one of UNITY's member agencies providing emergency shelter and housing services — directly comparable service delivery organization at much larger national scale.

Broad incumbents

• National Alliance to End Homelessness: Leading national policy and advocacy organization for the homelessness sector, providing research, training, and convening that supports CoCs like UNITY — a broader incumbent in the same domain.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unitygno
• Facebookfacebook.com/UNITYGNO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unity-for-the-homeless-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UNITY of Greater New Orleans