content: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><edgarSubmission xmlns="http://www.sec.gov/edgar/ownership" xmlns:com="http://www.sec.gov/edgar/common">
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      <submissionType>144</submissionType>
      <filerInfo>
        <filer>
          <filerCredentials>
            <cik>0001211054</cik>
            <ccc>XXXXXXXX</ccc>
          </filerCredentials>
        </filer>
        <liveTestFlag>LIVE</liveTestFlag>
  
  
      </filerInfo>
    </headerData>
    <formData>
      <issuerInfo>
        <issuerCik>0000357294</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>HOVNANIAN ENTERPRISES INC</issuerName>
        <secFileNumber>001-08551</secFileNumber>
        <issuerAddress>
          <com:street1>90 MATAWAN ROAD, 5TH FLOOR</com:street1>
          <com:city>MATAWAN</com:city>
          <com:stateOrCountry>NJ</com:stateOrCountry>
          <com:zipCode>07747</com:zipCode>
        </issuerAddress>
        <issuerContactPhone>7327477800</issuerContactPhone>
        <nameOfPersonForWhoseAccountTheSecuritiesAreToBeSold>SORSBY J LARRY</nameOfPersonForWhoseAccountTheSecuritiesAreToBeSold>
        <relationshipsToIssuer>
          <relationshipToIssuer>Officer</relationshipToIssuer>
        </relationshipsToIssuer>
      </issuerInfo>
      <securitiesInformation>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <brokerOrMarketmakerDetails>
          <name>Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC</name>
          <address>
            <com:street1>245 Summer Street</com:street1>
            <com:city>Boston</com:city>
            <com:stateOrCountry>MA</com:stateOrCountry>
            <com:zipCode>02110</com:zipCode>
          </address>
        </brokerOrMarketmakerDetails>
        <noOfUnitsSold>20000</noOfUnitsSold>
        <aggregateMarketValue>3220000.00</aggregateMarketValue>
        <noOfUnitsOutstanding>5345668</noOfUnitsOutstanding>
        <approxSaleDate>12/14/2023</approxSaleDate>
        <securitiesExchangeName>NYSE</securitiesExchangeName>
      </securitiesInformation>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>01/04/2021</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>3865</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>01/04/2021</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>01/10/2020</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>556</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>01/10/2020</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>01/02/2019</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>236</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>01/02/2019</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>06/12/2018</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>392</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>06/12/2018</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>06/11/2018</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>366</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>06/11/2018</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>06/14/2022</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>6185</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>06/14/2022</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>06/09/2022</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>643</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>06/09/2022</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>06/08/2022</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>1044</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>06/08/2022</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>01/07/2022</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>3023</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>01/07/2022</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>01/03/2022</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>3742</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>01/03/2022</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <nothingToReportFlagOnSecuritiesSoldInPast3Months>Y</nothingToReportFlagOnSecuritiesSoldInPast3Months>
      <remarks>TERESA P SORSBY REV TRUST - 6,363 shares and the JAMES LARRY SORSBY REV TRUST  - 13,637 shares.</remarks>
      <noticeSignature>
        <noticeDate>12/14/2023</noticeDate>
        <signature>/s/ Cristina Garcia, as a duly authorized representative of Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, as attorney-in-fact for SORSBY J LARRY</signature>
      </noticeSignature>
    </formData>
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metadata_documents: [{"type": "144", "sequence": "1", "filename": "primary_doc.xml", "secsgml_size_bytes": 7664}]
text: 144
  0001211054
  XXXXXXXX
  LIVE
  0000357294
  HOVNANIAN ENTERPRISES INC
  001-08551
  90 MATAWAN ROAD, 5TH FLOOR
  MATAWAN
  NJ
  07747
  7327477800
  SORSBY J LARRY
  Officer
  Common
  Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC
  245 Summer Street
  Boston
  MA
  02110
  20000
  3220000.00
  5345668
  12/14/2023
  NYSE
  Common
  01/04/2021
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  3865
  01/04/2021
  Compensation
  Common
  01/10/2020
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  556
  01/10/2020
  Compensation
  Common
  01/02/2019
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  236
  01/02/2019
  Compensation
  Common
  06/12/2018
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  392
  06/12/2018
  Compensation
  Common
  06/11/2018
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  366
  06/11/2018
  Compensation
  Common
  06/14/2022
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  6185
  06/14/2022
  Compensation
  Common
  06/09/2022
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  643
  06/09/2022
  Compensation
  Common
  06/08/2022
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  1044
  06/08/2022
  Compensation
  Common
  01/07/2022
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  3023
  01/07/2022
  Compensation
  Common
  01/03/2022
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  3742
  01/03/2022
  Compensation
  Y
  TERESA P SORSBY REV TRUST - 6,363 shares and the JAMES LARRY SORSBY REV TRUST  - 13,637 shares.
  12/14/2023
  /s/ Cristina Garcia, as a duly authorized representative of Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, as attorney-in-fact for SORSBY J LARRY