NEW ORLEANS, LA - Hundreds of elderly New Orleans residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina will soon be coming back home. On March 14, Volunteers of America broke ground on their future home, The Terraces on Tulane, a 200-unit community for low-income seniors. Volunteers of America is one of the largest nonprofit developers and providers of affordable housing nationwide. Construction of The Terraces on Tulane - which will include a computer lab and other amenities - is expected to be completed late 2009.
The Terraces on Tulane will offer residents health and medical services, transportation services, and planned social, educational and recreational activities. The development is part of Volunteers of America's "Coming Back Home" initiative to create more than 1,000 units of affordable rental housing and allow residents to reestablish their former neighborhoods and communities.
"Volunteers of America has made a commitment to help rebuild New Orleans and provide affordable housing that allows residents to return to the city and re-establish lost communities," said Charles Gould, national president and chief executive officer of Volunteers of America. "We have been a part of this community for more than a century and will continue to play an active role in recovery efforts here and throughout the Gulf Coast region."
The Terraces on Tulane replaces the Forest Towers senior rental property, which was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Many former residents have expressed a desire to return to New Orleans, but are unable to afford current market rental rates. In addition to Volunteers of America, project partners include JP Morgan Chase, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, the City of New Orleans and the Major League Baseball Players Trust.
Volunteers of America has had a significant presence in New Orleans since 1896. The organization has been a leader during the past few years rebuilding affordable housing destroyed by the hurricane and is in the process of restoring new, permanent units in the city. In August 2007, the organization opened the newly renovated Duvernay Residence on Canal Street. The 70-unit facility for formerly homeless adults sustained more than $600,000 in damage from Hurricane Katrina. Additional units are being restored at the 3901 Tulane Avenue Residence, which also sustained significant damage from the hurricane.
In partnership with the Major League Baseball Players Trust and other major donors, Volunteers of America also established the Rental Housing Development Fund, which will be used to develop affordable rental housing in the Gulf Coast region.
Source: VOA.org