A $3 million settlement resolves claims that the former owner of The Willows Apartments in New Orleans East let the 263-unit complex fall into an unsafe, uninhabitable state. Anyone who lived there between January 1, 2014 and June 11, 2025 can file by July 24, 2026 for a refund of rent for each month they lived at the property — with some former tenants receiving more than $10,000.
What Is The Willows Apartments Settlement About?
The Willows Apartments habitability class action has reached a $3 million settlement covering former tenants of the 263-unit complex in New Orleans East, Louisiana. Former tenants alleged that the property's former owner, Global Ministries Foundation — a Tennessee-based religious nonprofit that owned the complex before it was sold to a new owner in March 2026 — let The Willows fall into an unsafe, deplorable, and uninhabitable condition, and that the disrepair and hazardous conditions worsened over time.The settlement resolves those claims without any admission of wrongdoing or liability by the defendant. U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe granted final approval to the agreement in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and the claim window is now open. If you lived at The Willows during the class period, you can file a claim for a partial refund of the rent you paid while living at the property.
Who Qualifies?
The settlement class includes anyone who lived at The Willows Apartments in New Orleans East between January 1, 2014 and June 11, 2025. If you rented a unit at the complex at any point during that class period, you are eligible to file a claim.Because the class covers more than a decade of tenancy, both long-term residents and people who lived at The Willows for only a few months may qualify. Eligibility is tied to having lived at the property during the class period, not to whether you still live there — the complex was sold to a new owner in March 2026, and former tenants who have since moved out are still covered.
How Much Can You Get?
Payments come out of the $3 million settlement fund and are structured as a partial refund of the rent a tenant paid for each month they lived at The Willows. The refund amount is not flat: it increases for more recent tenancy, reflecting the allegation that conditions at the property worsened over time.Because of that structure, individual payments vary based on how long and how recently a person lived at the complex. A tenant who lived there for many months, or whose tenancy fell in the later years of the class period, generally recovers more than someone who lived there briefly or years earlier. Local reporting indicates that some former tenants could receive more than $10,000, though no specific amount is guaranteed to any class member and final payments depend on the total number of valid claims filed.
Proof of Residency: What You Need to File
The Willows settlement requires proof. To file a valid claim, a class member must provide documentation showing that they lived at The Willows during the class period. You do not have to document every dollar of damage you suffered — the refund is based on your rent and tenancy, not on an itemized list of losses — but you do need to establish that you were a resident of the complex.Documentation that shows residency at the property (for example, a lease, rent records, or other records tied to your unit and dates at The Willows) is what establishes class membership. Gather what you have before you start the online claim so you can complete it in one sitting.
How to File a Willows Apartments Claim
Claims are filed through the official settlement website. Visit WillowsClassAction.com, complete the claim form, and attach documentation of your residency at The Willows during the class period. The claim must be submitted by the July 24, 2026 deadline.The official settlement website is the only place to file and the only source of contact information for the settlement. If you have questions about your claim or need help with the form, use the contact options on WillowsClassAction.com.
Key Willows Settlement Deadlines
• Submit a claim by: Friday, July 24, 2026
• Class period (when you must have lived at The Willows): January 1, 2014 through June 11, 2025
• Final approval: granted by U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe in the Eastern District of Louisiana
The claim deadline is imminent, so class members who lived at The Willows should file promptly rather than wait. Once the deadline passes, the claim window closes and late claims are not accepted.
What Happens If You Do Nothing?
If you were a Willows tenant during the class period and you do nothing, you will not receive a payment, and you generally give up the right to pursue the claims the settlement releases. Filing a claim through the official settlement website is the only way to receive a share of the fund.The claim asks for basic information and proof that you lived at the property, so most eligible former tenants can complete it in a single session once they have their residency documentation on hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for The Willows Apartments settlement?
The settlement class includes anyone who lived at The Willows Apartments in New Orleans East between January 1, 2014 and June 11, 2025. If you rented a unit at the 263-unit complex during that period, you can file a claim for a partial refund of the rent you paid while living there.
How much can I get from The Willows settlement?
Payments are calculated as a partial refund of rent for each month a tenant lived at The Willows, drawn from a $3 million settlement fund. The refund amount increases for more recent tenancy, because the conditions at the property allegedly worsened over time. Individual amounts vary based on how long and how recently a person lived there, and reporting indicates some former tenants could receive more than $10,000. No specific payment amount is guaranteed.
What is the deadline to file a Willows Apartments claim?
The claim deadline is July 24, 2026. Class members must submit a claim through the official settlement website, WillowsClassAction.com, by that date to receive a payment.
Do I need proof to file a Willows Apartments claim?
Yes. To file, a class member must provide documentation showing that they lived at The Willows during the class period (January 1, 2014 to June 11, 2025). Class members do not have to document every dollar of damage they suffered, but proof of residency at the complex is required to qualify.
What did the lawsuit allege about The Willows Apartments?
Former tenants alleged that the property's former owner, Global Ministries Foundation, let The Willows fall into an unsafe, deplorable, and uninhabitable condition, and that the disrepair and hazardous conditions worsened over time. The settlement resolves those claims without any admission of wrongdoing or liability by the defendant.
Sources
• Official Settlement Website: WillowsClassAction.com• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (Judge Barry W. Ashe) — laed.uscourts.gov
• Fox 8 Live (WVUE, New Orleans) — coverage of the Willows Apartments settlement
• NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune — coverage of the Willows Apartments settlement
• Canal Street Beat — coverage of the Willows Apartments settlement
