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>0001563558</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>PAGANO VINCENT JR</nameOfPersonForWhoseAccountTheSecuritiesAreToBeSold>
        <relationshipsToIssuer>
          <relationshipToIssuer>Director</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>3862</noOfUnitsSold>
        <aggregateMarketValue>588607.42</aggregateMarketValue>
        <noOfUnitsOutstanding>5345668</noOfUnitsOutstanding>
        <approxSaleDate>12/20/2023</approxSaleDate>
        <securitiesExchangeName>NYSE</securitiesExchangeName>
      </securitiesInformation>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>03/07/2013</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>175</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>03/07/2013</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>01/10/2014</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>192</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>01/10/2014</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>03/21/2014</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>42</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>03/21/2014</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>06/16/2014</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>69</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>06/16/2014</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>01/09/2015</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>402</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>01/09/2015</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>06/15/2015</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>138</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>06/15/2015</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>06/12/2015</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>400</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>06/12/2015</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>06/13/2017</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>121</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>06/13/2017</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>06/08/2021</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>531</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>06/08/2021</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>06/09/2021</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>474</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>06/09/2021</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <securitiesToBeSold>
        <securitiesClassTitle>Common</securitiesClassTitle>
        <acquiredDate>06/10/2021</acquiredDate>
        <natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>Stock Award</natureOfAcquisitionTransaction>
        <nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>Issuer</nameOfPersonfromWhomAcquired>
        <isGiftTransaction>N</isGiftTransaction>
        <amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>313</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>06/10/2021</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>531</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>06/08/2022</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>474</amountOfSecuritiesAcquired>
        <paymentDate>06/09/2022</paymentDate>
        <natureOfPayment>Compensation</natureOfPayment>
      </securitiesToBeSold>
      <nothingToReportFlagOnSecuritiesSoldInPast3Months>Y</nothingToReportFlagOnSecuritiesSoldInPast3Months>
      <noticeSignature>
        <noticeDate>12/20/2023</noticeDate>
        <signature>/s/ Cristina Garcia, as a duly authorized representative of Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, as attorney-in-fact for PAGANO VINCENT JR</signature>
      </noticeSignature>
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metadata_documents: [{"type": "144", "sequence": "1", "filename": "primary_doc.xml", "secsgml_size_bytes": 9109}]
text: 144
  0001563558
  XXXXXXXX
  LIVE
  0000357294
  HOVNANIAN ENTERPRISES INC
  001-08551
  90 MATAWAN ROAD, 5TH FLOOR
  MATAWAN
  NJ
  07747
  7327477800
  PAGANO VINCENT JR
  Director
  Common
  Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC
  245 Summer Street
  Boston
  MA
  02110
  3862
  588607.42
  5345668
  12/20/2023
  NYSE
  Common
  03/07/2013
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  175
  03/07/2013
  Compensation
  Common
  01/10/2014
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  192
  01/10/2014
  Compensation
  Common
  03/21/2014
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  42
  03/21/2014
  Compensation
  Common
  06/16/2014
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  69
  06/16/2014
  Compensation
  Common
  01/09/2015
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  402
  01/09/2015
  Compensation
  Common
  06/15/2015
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  138
  06/15/2015
  Compensation
  Common
  06/12/2015
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  400
  06/12/2015
  Compensation
  Common
  06/13/2017
  Stock
  Issuer
  N
  121
  06/13/2017
  Compensation
  Common
  06/08/2021
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  531
  06/08/2021
  Compensation
  Common
  06/09/2021
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  474
  06/09/2021
  Compensation
  Common
  06/10/2021
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  313
  06/10/2021
  Compensation
  Common
  06/08/2022
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  531
  06/08/2022
  Compensation
  Common
  06/09/2022
  Stock Award
  Issuer
  N
  474
  06/09/2022
  Compensation
  Y
  12/20/2023
  /s/ Cristina Garcia, as a duly authorized representative of Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, as attorney-in-fact for PAGANO VINCENT JR