News

Six recent projects are focused on, including the reopening of the Joy Theater, a new football complex at Joe Brown Park and the opening of a state of the art school in Lakeview. Click here to read more.

The Jindal administration has announced a 50 year, $50 billion proposal to stop coastal erosion in Louisiana. The plan calls for building new land by opening diversions on the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers, pumping sediment into eroded marshes, building new shorelines and pouring sand onto disappearing barrier islands. It would be paid for in part by fines from the BP oil spill and increased royalties from offshore drilling. Click here to read more.

In 2011 New Orleans exceeded the national average of startups created by 30 percent, leading Inc. magazine to call it “the coolest startup city in America.” Before Katrina New Orleans had relatively few startups. That has changed, in part due to an influx of college educated youths and the creation of incubator organizations that help new businesses get off the ground. Click here to read more.

The Louisiana Supreme Court has reinstated a $92.8 million judgment against the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation for slow adjustment of claims after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This will give 18,573 homeowners $5,000 each, the largest insurance award since Hurricane Katrina. Click here to read more.

Members of the New Orleans Saints and the United Way are working to rebuild houses damaged by Hurricane Katrina. While this effort is focused in the Gentilly neighborhood, United Way has also rebuilt a number of homes city-wide through its No Place Like Home program. Click here to read more.

Yesterday Build Now launched the Own Now NOLA program, which will help first time home buyers, teachers and first responders build new homes. Build Now will extend all of the organization’s case management services to these buyers, including securing financing, accessing soft second funds and constructing the home. This program was created in partnership with Project Home Again and the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority. Click here to read the Times Picayune’s article about the effort. For more information about enrolling in the program, call (504) 373-6962.

On December 13th, The City Council recognized Build Now for our work in helping to revitalize New Orleans! While the Council recognizes Build Now, we recognize our partners, the homebuyers. Thanks to everyone.

FEMA has agreed to pay $52 million to repair roads in five of New Orleans’ neighborhoods as part of its ongoing assessment of damage done to streets during Hurricane Katrina. This latest allocation comes after $45 million was awarded to repair roads in the Lower Ninth Ward in August. The neighborhoods that will be targeted in this allocation are Broadmoor, Lakeshore and Lake Vista, Lakeview, Milneburg and the St. Claude corridor. Click here to read more.

Mayor Landrieu and federal officials have announced a 10-year plan to end the city’s homeless problem. Homelessness has increased significantly since Hurricane Katrina and social workers estimate that approximately 6,500 people do not have housing. The plan calls for building more housing for the homeless and creating a 24-hour center in a downtown Veterans Affairs Department hospital building. Click here to read more.

City officials report that there are 3,214 fewer blighted properties in New Orleans than there were a year ago. Many of these properties have been rebuilt, others have been demolished and a number are vacant lots that have been cleaned. The City has also had success with ramping up its sheriff sale foreclosure process, which auctions blighted properties. In the last year the city attorney filed 1,002 foreclosure actions, up from 68 in 2010 and none in 2009. Click here to read more.

All areas of Armstrong Park will now be open daily for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. Over the past several years FEMA and the City officials have worked to repair lagoons and bridges, re-roof buildings and install handicap accessible features. The park contains the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium, the Mahalia Jackson Theater, Congo Square and part of the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. Read more.

After being severely flooded during Katrina, Broadmoor has renewed itself. More than 86 percent of its houses are rebuilt and the Rosa Keller Library is set to re-open in January. 13,000 volunteers have contributed to this process. Read more.

New Orleans’ primary care clinics for the poor and underinsured will receive $8.3 million from the settlement of a long running class-action lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson. $1 million will go to the construction of a permanent primary-care clinic on the old Methodist-Hospital campus. The remaining money will be distributed to clinics throughout the city, with a focus on the Ninth Ward and eastern New Orleans. Click here to read more.

The Landrieu administration has launched a soft second mortgage program to assist first time homebuyers. The program provides up to $65,000 in financing that is forgiven if the buyer stays in the house for ten years. Click here to read more. Build Now works with clients to access these funds.

The opinion article discusses the changes that have been made since Katrina created a fresh slate for educators and administrators. This includes a significant reduction in the number of failing schools, improvements in school culture and adoption of new teaching methods. Read the article.

On November 5th the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority will auction properties located throughout the city, including Lakeview, Mid City and the Lower Ninth Ward. The properties include single family homes, duplexex and vacant lots. Winning bidders must remove any blighted conditions and rehab or begin construction on the property within 12 months. Click here to learn more.

Ms. Ginny is the perfect example of why we do what we do. She lost her home in the Lower 9th Ward during Hurricane Katrina and was forced to move into a nursing home. She is wheelchair bound and while she was (and is) of sound mind, she needed a place that could accommodate her physical and medical needs.

Ms. Ginny has no children of her own, but several adult nieces and nephews are devoted to her. One of her nephews contacted us about a year ago. He was searching online for resources to help his aunt rebuild in the Lower 9th Ward, from his home in Texas. Not long after, his sister drove by the model house and stopped in, as she too was intent on helping her aunt get out of her current circumstances.

Our hands on team, Nikki and Kim, walked Ms. Ginny through the home buying process, from choosing a design to bank loans to building her dream house.

Ms. Ginny and her family are wonderful people that have been through more than a family should have to bear. In August, almost six years to the day after she lost her home to the floodwaters, Ms. Ginny returned to a brand new, safe, elevated, energy efficient home built on the same site she lived for decades before the storm. You would be hard pressed to find someone as gracious as Ms. Ginny. We at Build Now feel lucky to have helped Ms. Ginny move home.

The Landrieu administration is moving ahead with revitalization plans for the St. Roch corridor. These plans include reopening the St. Roch Market, converting the neutral ground behind the market into an artwalk and making enhancements to the St. Roch Park. A number of other projects are taking place in the area, including the opening of the Healing Center, plans to run a street car line down St. Claude Ave. and the redevelopment of the area’s riverfront. Click here to read more.

The New Orleans BioInnovation Center, which opened on September 22, will house biotech start-ups, venture capitalist and companies that provide industry support services. City officials hope that the center, along with the new VA hospital, State teaching and research hospital and the Louisiana Cancer Research Center, will fuel a biomedical industry that will create 10,000 high-wage jobs directly, and another 7,000 to-10,000 jobs indirectly. Click here to read more.

A new report by the National Association of Home Builders’ lists New Orleans as one of the twelve cities nationwide that have seen the most improvement in their housing markets. The report measures three areas that are critical to the real estate market: employment, housing permits and housing prices. Alexandria and Houma were also included; Louisiana is the only state with more than one city included. Click here to read more.

HUD officials have announced a $30 million project to turn the Iberville housing projects into a mixed income development. This effort is part of a redevelopment of downtown New Orleans that includes a new hospital district, new streetcar lines and a 3 mile urban greenway. Officials predict that this will leverage another $662 million in public and private investments in schools, new housing and healthcare. Click here to read more.

Monday is the sixth anniversary of the levee failure during Hurricane Katrina. A number of events will mark the anniversary. Click here to see a list of them. Build Now is grateful for its continued role in New Orleans’ recovery.

This week the federal government approved a $62 million settlement to resolve a long running anti-discrimination lawsuit with the Road Home program. Approximately 1,500 home owners will receive funds from the settlement. Click here to read more or call us at (504) 373-6962 for assistance in determining whether you qualify for funding.

There are two places where you can chat with Build Now representatives: Our model home at 5713 Elysian Fields Ave and our new office in the Healing Center at 2372 St Claude Ave. suite 270. Here is Gambit’s piece on our new office.

We are excited to be part of the St. Claude corridor renaissance and we look forward to answering any questions you may have about rebuilding your home. Come on down to the Marigny and see us!

With 44 homes complete or underway, and a half a dozen more projects soon to break ground, Build Now is excited to be a vital part of rebuilding efforts in New Orleans’ neighborhoods, from Lakeview to the Lower 9th Ward.

Click to view segment.

In recent months the State’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program has significantly increased the number of elevation grants it’s awarding. This means that thousands of homes are being elevated, but it has also led to a number of cases of contractor fraud. With little oversight and the potential for large profits, some contractors are doing poor work that leaves houses structurally compromised. Click here to read more. Build Now works with its clients to apply for grants and oversees the contractor’s work.

A recent USA Today story profiles the redevelopment of New Orleans’ housing projects into mixed income apartments. While other cities have followed a similar trend, New Orleans is the first one to replace all of its major housing projects at once. Residents and politicians agree that this has led to higher quality, safer housing conditions, but it has also decreased the overall number of affordable housing units. Click here to read more.

Tess Monaghan explains that families who want to rebuild on their property – and could rebuild with a bit of assistance – are key in New Orleans’ fight against blight. Click here to read the article.

Build Now’s Jolie Bernard spoke with Crosstown Conversations host Jeanne Nathan on WBOK 1230AM about reaching out to still-displaced New Orleanians in town this weekend for Essence Festival. Click here to download the interview.

Jolie Bernard of Build Now spoke with Crosstown Conversations host Jeanne Nathan on WBOK 1230AM about getting the financing you need to build a new home on your pre-Katrina property. Click here to download the interview.

Click here to read the article.

Freeing up these funds would stimulate rebuilding of approximately 800 properties, but the funds have remained in bureaucratic limbo for years. Click here to view the video.

Today, we served up 400 lbs of crawfish at the intersection of Tricou and N. Prieur Streets in the Lower Ninth Ward, in eyesight of three of Build Now’s beautiful new homes. Music played, neighbors sat on porches, and everyone enjoyed a beautiful sunny afternoon.

Today, Build Now broke ground on our 40th home, in Lakeview. Later this week we will be starting work on our 41st home, the popular Eleanor floorplan, in Ponchartrain Park.

Click here to view the video

Click here to read Robert Scott’s story on the inability of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to disburse funds in line with its stated purpose.

Check it out.

View the segment.

Overcast skies and the occasional downpour didn’t stop guests at Build Now’s third annual crawfish boil – this year celebrating the culmination of Landscaping Our City, a landscape design contest – from having a good time. Check out the media coverage of the event from WWLTV, NOLA38, the Times-Picayune, and Southern Living’s The Grumpy Gardner.

Click here to read Steve Bender’s Southern Living blog post on the event, and here for Delgado’s coverage.

This week, Edward Adams returned to his property in the Lower Ninth Ward after nearly 5 years away from home. Build Now constructed his new home at 1931 St. Maurice Avenue and assisted him with all the logistics of his return – from purchasing furniture to coordinating a home care service. Click here to view an ABC26 segment.

Come to the model house on Thursday, January 21st, to learn how to get the money you need to build a new home on your property. To see the TV clip, click here.

The HMGP pilot reconstruction program provides additional funding to homeowners who did not receive enough money to build a new home from Road Home and their insurance companies. Recent changes allow this program to compensate homeowners for money they lost to contractor fraud. Click here to read the article.

Click here for more on Tess.

For one day only, local artists transformed Build Now’s homes under construction into temporary art galleries. More than twenty artists displayed work in five homes that spanned New Orleans, from Lakeview to the Lower Ninth Ward. We concluded the day with a reception at the model home, where guests chatted about their favorite pieces from the day. The event was a big success, and we plan to repeat it in 2010!

Atlantic Monthly writer Wayne Curtis features Build Now’s shotgun-style Napoleon home on Law Street in the Upper Ninth Ward, designed by Monaghan, as one of New Orleans’ five “coolest new houses” built since the storm. Click here to read the article.

Click here for the full list of honorees.

The Road Home covenant originally specified that rebuilding must be complete within 3 years of a recipient’s closing. Recipients who have not yet finished rebuilding and who are approaching the end of this 3 year period can now apply for a 2-year extension. The article also includes a discussion of various plans to provide some extra funding to low- and moderate-income homeowners.

Check it out!

Click here to take a look at this week’s City Business “Off the Clock” profile featuring Build Now Executive Director Tess Monaghan.

We’ll be breaking ground on her new home in Gentilly Woods this fall.

If you are a Road Home recipient and have already built a new home on your property, or are considering building a new home on your property, you may be eligible for a grant of up to $100,000 through the HMGP program to cover your rebuilding expenses. Call (877) 744-7235 for more details, to determine your eligibility, and to ask for an application.

The newspaper’s InsideOut section included an article on Build Now homeowner Mingko Aba and his new home on Law Street in the Upper Ninth Ward. The piece focused on the home’s environmentally-friendly features. Click here to read the article.

Tess Monaghan, the Executive Director of Build Now, was recently a guest on Glynn Boyd’s weekly public affairs show, “The 411.” Click here to see the interview.

Please take a look at our Photos page to see how the home looks – it’s the Prytania floorplan – or feel free to drive by the home if you happen to find yourself in the Lower 9th Ward!

As construction at 2324 Gordon Street nears completion, we broke ground this week on three new projects: one in Ponchartrain Park (5543 Press Drive), and two in the Upper Ninth Ward (3105 and 3111 Law Street). Visit our Photos page for pictures of the homes under construction.

Read the article here.

Read the article in CityBusiness here.

Read the article here.

Join Build Now on the third Thursday of every month for a chance to engage with local experts on the topics that are important to you and your community. Light refreshments will be served!

More than 50 exhibitors were on hand at the Dillard University campus for the free Housing Fair. Sponsored by the Dillard University Community Development Corporation, the fair featured exhibitors from various sectors of the housing world, as well as seminars on obtaining construction financing, selecting contractors, and how to understand your credit report.

Over 150 people came out to Dillard University to learn about the different sourcesof elevation funding that are available. KC King from the Citizens Road HomeAction Team spoke, as did a representative from the LRA. For information on elevationoptions and logistics, courtesy of CHART at UNO, please click here.

Click here to hear the interview as well as to learn more about Brian’s show.

Thanks to everyone for coming out and making our Open House Crawfish Boil on Saturday, May 17th a huge success!

In an interview with WWL TV’s Sally Ann Roberts, Build Now’s William and Tess Monaghan discussed the organization’s mission in New Orleans. Tess took the opportunity to elaborate on Build Now’s coordinated buyers program, while William emphasized the importance of home elevation and explained how his research of regional architecture impacted the design process.

Click here to read about Build Now in CityBusiness. Build Now is featured in a story on building environmentally responsible homes for a reasonable price.

Click here to read Build Now’s feature story in the Times Picayune.

Build Now welcomes Nikki Najiola to the team as our Sales Director. She has years of experience in real estate sales and mortgage origination, and has been one of the major advocates for the Gentilly community in the time since Hurricane Katrina.

Our model house at 5713 Elysian Fields Avenue in Gentilly is almost complete! Regularly scheduled open hours will start Thursday, April 10th, and we’ll be having a Crawfish Boil Open House on Saturday, April 19th. In the meantime, call (504) 373-6962. to make an appointment to tour the house, or just swing by and take a look at the charming exterior.

Build Now welcomes George Ross to the team. Mr. Ross joins us as our Director of Communications.