Greater New Orleans Foundation Awards $2.4 Million Through Six Community Revitalization Fund Grants
The Greater New Orleans Foundation has awarded six new grants totaling $1,516,400 in 2008 and $900,400 in 2009. The Community Revitalization Fund grants will help developers build affordable housing, which will further spur the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina.
Among other things, the new grants will help revitalize the former Lafitte Public Housing Project, hire a deputy director of housing for the city and integrate databases of vacant and blighted properties.
Providence Community Housing
A two-year grant of $1 million ($500,000 per year) will help Providence Community Housing acquire over 120 lots surrounding the Lafitte Public Housing Project. The grant will pay for land, legal fees and staffing. Providence has acquired 27.5 acres in and around the Lafitte project to build 1,500 housing units. Providence has partnered with Enterprise Community Partners to replace all 900 rental homes that existed before the storm. Also, Providence plans to build and sell 600 homes for working families and first-time homeowners.
Orleans Recovery Foundation
A two-year grant of $620,800 ($310,400 per year) will help the Mayor's Office of Recovery and Development Administration hire, train and pay the salaries of three new high-level employees: a deputy director of housing, a housing finance specialist and a housing analyst. The new employees will help the city design and implement a variety of innovative housing programs, intended to revitalize neighborhoods and spur recovery, according to the Office of Recovery and Development Administration's grant proposal.
New Orleans Redevelopment Authority
A one-year grant of $258,000 will help the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority integrate two databases, NORA's and one maintained by the city, into a unified database of vacant and blighted properties. The grant will also help NORA create maps that integrate data with geographic information systems technology. The data and maps will be made available to the public. According to the grant proposal, this grant will significantly increase the speed at which NORA is able to return properties to commerce. The grant is for Phase I of the project. If approved, funding for Phase II would be about $120,000.
ACORN
A one-year grant of $200,000 will allow ACORN Housing Corp. to pay for pre-development costs for 150 homes it plans to build in the Lower Ninth Ward. The total cost of the entire project is $20 million. If the program is running according to plan, the CRF will likely provide ACORN with $200,000 per year for two more years.
Jericho Road
A two year grant of $180,000 ($90,000 per year) will allow Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative to hire, train and pay the salary of a project manager to oversee development of 41 houses. The homes will be built in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans.
The Urban Institute
A one-year $158,000 grant will allow The Urban Institute, a 40-year-old think tank in Washington, D.C., to conduct a year-long lecture series in New Orleans about housing and community development. The lectures will be held monthly. The Urban Institute will also have a pool of national experts on call to address urgent policy issues and questions.
About the Community Revitalization Fund
The Greater New Orleans Foundation launched the Community Revitalization Fund this past fall. So far, $15 million has been secured from 16 philanthropic foundations for the affordable housing and community development fund for New Orleans. The Community Revitalization Fund will continue raising funds with plans to invest $25 million in housing over the next five years.
The CRF will help New Orleans recover from Hurricane Katrina by making grants to organizations that provide affordable housing for residents who want to return to the city. The Fund is currently accepting grant proposals from entities engaged in housing development and recovery.
Participating national foundations include blue moon fund, The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Chrysler Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Kresge Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation and Surdna Foundation. Participating local foundations include Ella West Freeman Foundation, Goldring Family and Woldenberg Foundations, Greater New Orleans Foundation, Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation and Patrick F. Taylor Foundation.
