lowernine.org

lowernine.org was founded in 2007 to aid in long-term recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Using volunteer labor, we rebuild homes of the original residents in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans - a 98.1% African-American community with a majority low-income population. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing levee breaches rendered 100% of Lower Ninth Ward homes uninhabitable. Recovery from this disaster has been slower here than in many other neighborhoods, with population return only about 30% in 2013. Many residents remain in need of assistance to rebuild their homes and fell victim to contractor fraud, discriminatory federal recovery programs, and tainted sheetrock imported from China.

Homeowners purchase that majority of the materials required, and lowernine.org provides free labor, which brings the cost of rebuilding down to 1/3 of open market rate. To date, we have completely rebuilt sixty-five homes, and completed smaller renovation and repair projects on over one hundred more.

Donations to lowernine.org help us house and feed our volunteers, purchase tools and equipment, transport people and materials, and keep the lights on! Please consider donating today.