Erica Toriello was the Director of Housing Policy and Services and a founding member of Home by Hand, one of the organizations that merged to form People’s Housing +. Her affordable housing work began when she joined the Project Home Again team as the Director of Sales and Marketing in 2009, working to assist people who had lost their homes in Hurricane Katrina. Since then, Erica has helped over 230 returning families and 1st time homebuyers move into brand new Project Home Again, Home by Hand, and PH+ homes. Erica guides homebuyers through the entire home buying process, including application review and intake, assistance with credit repair and program income verification, and is a liaison with lenders, homebuyer training agencies, insurance agents and title companies, advocating on their behalf to ensure a successful closing. In addition to sales and marketing of the homes, Erica has worked with several federal and private grant programs to help facilitate the buying process and ensure program compliance. Erica serves on the Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance (GNOHA) Homeownership Committee and Insurance Task Force and is Licensed Realtor with The Birdsong Realty Group since 2014. She received her Bachelors in Arts degree from Oberlin College in Ohio.