Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association

NENA is a private, non-profit, 501(c) (3) community development agency focused on the Lower 9th Ward Community. Our mission is to play a vital role in our neighborhood's redevelopment. We implement sustainable projects and programs in decent and affordable housing, economic development and education with clear community involvement and direction.

What We Do:

• Youth Business Network
o Housing
o First-Time Home Buyer Training
o Business Incubation and Support
o Advocacy

Testimonials

Article in TP March, 2010: 0"I never lost faith in God after the storm, but I lost my faith in man," he said as he gave me a tour of his new place.
He told his story quietly, without a trace of self-pity: He stayed during Hurricane Katrina, sending his wife and the rest of his family out of town, and he ended up in the Superdome, an experience that still haunts him. It was about a month, as he remembers, before he and his beloved Audrey were reunited.
Eventually, they moved into a tiny FEMA trailer on their property. But not long after they came back to New Orleans, Audrey became ill. She died on Aug. 29, 2006, a year after the storm.
"It's still hard for me to talk about that, " he said.
The house they had lived in since 1958 had to be demolished, and Hall, who had been in the construction business most of his life, applied for his Road Home money, determined to rebuild the house with all the little changes he and Audrey had talked about.
"I had her in mind when I designed it, " he said.
He got the grant, drew up his plans, and found a contractor he thought he could trust. After the new house was framed, he gave his Road Home money to the contractor and his helper.
"They were supposed to buy the bricks, the flooring, all the doors, the kitchen cabinets, the bathroom fixtures, everything, " he said.
Instead, they disappeared with his money.
"At first, when something like that happens, you don't feel good, " Hall said.
He was determined to finish the house his wife had envisioned, so he started using his retirement money to buy materials. He laid the bricks and put on a roof. He persisted even when thieves made off with his supplies and copper piping. He kept going until his retirement money was gone.
"I had almost given up, " Hall said. "Then people came from all over the United States to help me."
The Lower 9th Ward Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association (NENA) heard about Hall's plight, and that's when Project Homecoming got involved.
Joines, the construction manager for Hall's house, said what makes Project Homecoming so successful is the partnerships it has formed with other local non-profit groups. NENA did counseling and case management for Hall's house; the Salvation Army provided $15,000 for materials, and its Envirenew Program donated another $5,000 for sustainable upgrades and installation expertise; and the Louisiana Green Corps provided young people to weatherize the house through its green jobs training program.