Sisters of the Presentation Announce Lead Gift to Launch Hope Family Housing Initiative in New Orleans
Sisters of the Presentation Announce Lead Gift to Launch Hope Family Housing Initiative in New Orleans
The Sisters of the Presentation of Dubuque, Iowa, are pleased to announce a lead philanthropic investment to support the launch of Hope Family Housing, an innovative new initiative in New Orleans, Louisiana, designed to expand access to long-term, stable housing for families and seniors at risk of housing instability.
An initiative of Hotel Hope in New Orleans, Hope Family Housing is a mission-driven effort to address homelessness through an intergenerational housing model. The program creates safe, affordable homes where single parents and their children live alongside community elders, fostering daily connection, mutual support and a strong sense of belonging.
Hope Family Housing builds on the work of Hotel Hope, which currently serves more than 60 women and 120 children annually at its 16-room facility. Presentation Sisters have offered radical hospitality to women and children experiencing homelessness in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina through Hotel Hope since its establishment in 2018. Currently Sister Mary Lou Specha serves as executive director, and Sister Julie Marsh as director of operations.
In recent years, the average length of stay at Hotel Hope has increased significantly, reflecting the growing difficulty families face in securing stable housing. At the same time, adults aged 55 and older represent the fastest-growing population experiencing homelessness nationwide.
“Our congregation is called to respond to the needs of our time with compassion and courage,” said Sister Carmen Hernandez, congregational leader of the Sisters of the Presentation. “Supporting Hope Family Housing is a natural extension of our mission to uphold the dignity of every person and to stand with those seeking stability and hope. We are honored to help bring this vision to life.”
The pilot phase of the initiative will include two newly constructed duplexes, creating four housing units – two designated for single parents and their children, and two for seniors. These homes will be built to the Fortified Gold standard, incorporating enhanced roof systems, impact-resistant windows and reinforced structural connections to better withstand severe weather, reduce damage risk and lower long-term maintenance costs.
“This moment marks an important inflection point for Hotel Hope,” states Sister Mary Lou Specha, executive director of Hotel Hope. “With Hope Family Housing, we have the opportunity to significantly expand our impact, deepen our commitment to preserving the family unit and contribute to neighborhood revitalization in our beloved city. We are excited to be working with People’s Housing+, a local leader in affordable housing development, to help us bring this vision to life.”
Over the next five years, the program aims to expand to 20 duplexes, resulting in 40 affordable housing units.
By combining high-quality, energy-efficient housing with an intergenerational model of mutual support, Hope Family Housing seeks to address both housing affordability and social isolation, creating communities where families and seniors can thrive together.
For more than 150 years, the Sisters of the Presentation of Dubuque, Iowa, have carried forward a legacy of service rooted in education, social justice and care for those most in need. This investment reflects the congregation’s ongoing commitment to addressing systemic challenges with faith, compassion and action.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Hope Family Housing pilot site is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, at 10:30 a.m. in New Orleans, Louisiana.
About the Sisters of the Presentation of Dubuque, Iowa
The Sisters of the Presentation are a community of Catholic women religious committed to advancing justice, compassion and human dignity. Inspired by the vision of Nano Nagle, the congregation engages in ministries that respond to the needs of the times, with a particular focus on education, social justice and service to those who are most vulnerable.
About Hotel Hope
Hotel Hope is a nonprofit, interfaith organization that provides safe, welcoming emergency shelter for women with children experiencing homelessness in New Orleans, Louisiana. Designed to feel like a hotel rather than a shelter, Hotel Hope offers private rooms, hospitality-driven services and a supportive community grounded in love, compassion and empowerment. Since opening in 2018, the organization has served more than 400 families while preserving the family unit and helping families move from crisis to stability and into permanent housing.
About Hope Family Housing
Hope Family Housing is an initiative of Hotel Hope in New Orleans, with a mission-driven effort to address homelessness through an intergenerational housing model. The program creates safe, affordable homes where single parents and their children live alongside community elders, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual support while empowering families to achieve self-sufficiency and long-term stability.
About Sisters Julie Marsh and Mary Lou Specha
Since 2018, the Presentation Sisters have offered radical hospitality to women and children experiencing homelessness in post-Katrina New Orleans through Hotel Hope. Sister Mary Lou Specha serves as executive director, drawing on earlier ministry as a teacher in South Chicago, campus minister at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls and executive director of Café Reconcile in New Orleans. Sister Julie Marsh, director of operations, brings experience as a music therapist, pastoral minister and liturgist at Immaculate Conception Parish in Sioux City, and campus minister at both the University of Northern Iowa and the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas.
