NEW ORLEANS (October 5, 2009) – Four years after Hurricane Katrina, while other philanthropists are quietly concluding their work and leaving New Orleans, the non-profit housing developer, Project Home Again (PHA), today gifted 12 more new homes to displaced families and broke ground for 12 additional new homes.  “We knew from the beginning that it would take years to rebuild this city and that we needed to work thoughtfully and steadily,” said Leonard Riggio, chairman of Barnes & Noble, who along with his wife, Louise, founded Project Home Again shortly after Katrina.  “Four years after the storm isn’t the time to quit, it’s the time to look around, understand where redevelopment can happen and redouble our efforts to bring the city back. There are still thousands of families out there who, now more than ever, want to come home.”  To date, PHA has built and gifted 32 new homes in the Gentilly neighborhood.

The Riggios, PHA families, elected officials, representatives from the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) and the Louisiana Recovery Authority were on hand as PHA broke ground for 12 more homes in the St. Anthony neighborhood of Gentilly.  PHA recently purchased the 12 properties from NORA.  St. Anthony has experienced a slow rate of return and Project Home Again aims to jump-start the redevelopment of that area by clustering these homes around the 12 other PHA homes that were recently completed.  All PHA homes will be elevated above the minimum base-flood elevations, be storm-resistant and will meet the standards of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Builder’s Challenge program that results in homes that use 40% less energy than similar size homes in the area.

The Project Home Again structures will be two and three bedroom homes built in the California Craftsman style that is very much the style of Gentilly. Construction will begin immediately and will conclude by spring 2010. Upon completion, the homes will be given to families who lived in Gentilly at the time of the storm and lost their homes due to flooding. Both homeowners and renters will be encouraged to apply for housing in this round.

Applicants must meet income guidelines and other criteria that can be found at www.projecthomeagain.net. Applications can be downloaded from the website or can be requested by calling 866-550-4PHA (4742).