Returning To New Orleans After Katrina
It is been more than 15 months since Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc along the Gulf Coast and especially in the iconic city of New Orleans. Slowly, but steadily, people are returning home although the population now is nowhere near pre-Katrina levels. The city’s tourism base is also slowly returning as conventions create demand for hotels, restaurants and shops.
However, for those who choose to come back, building a new home and a new life in the city may be an uphill task.
Little of the government funds for building have trickled to residents and rental units are highly unaffordable making things difficult for those working in the tourism sector. Home ownership insurance has also increased. For those who want to rebuild, it is an even more difficult task. Finding construction workers and plumbers is not easy and when they do happen to be available, fees are exorbitant.
Finding neighbors when you do move in to your newly rebuilt home is another issue since only about 50 percent of the pre-storm population has returned.
Organizations such as Preservation Resource Centre and Habitat for Humanity are involved in building affordable housing for the community. A project called the Musician’s village is underway which aims to provide an affordable option for musician’s to return to New Orleans. The Preservation Resource Center has renovated seven home since Katrina and plans to raise enough funds to build 120 more homes over the next three years. Downtown, a range of high end homes are appealing to young professional, a demographic that is vital to the city’s re-emergence as a vibrant city.
But there is still a lot to be done and finding a house or buying one is not an easy task in New Orleans after the coming of Katrina.
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