LAFITTE, La. – On Aug. 29, the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ida and the 17th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity was joined by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the Jefferson Community Foundation and a host of elected officials to celebrate the first Habitat home being built as part of Habitat’s $4.6 million rebuilding project in Lafitte.
The home, located at 4852 Oak Drive, will be purchased via a no-interest loan by longtime Lafitte residents Corrine and Darrel Percle, who previously lived in a trailer on the family’s home site. Percles will live in the home with their two grandchildren.
Also on hand were Town of Jean Lafitte Mayor Timothy P. Kerner Jr., State Rep. Timothy P. Kerner, Jefferson Parish Councilman Ricky Templet, Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng, and Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser.
The Town of Jean Lafitte, 20 miles southwest of New Orleans, suffered catastrophic damage during Hurricane Ida in August of 2021 when 90% of its housing stock was damaged or destroyed. Since then, NOAHH has worked to help homeowners find a path back to normalcy. GNOF and JCF have pledged $150,000.00 to the rebuilding effort.
“On the anniversary of Hurricanes Ida and Katrina, the Greater New Orleans Foundation is thrilled to award an additional $75,000 grant to the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, matched with a $75,000 grant from Jefferson Community Foundation in support of Habitat’s recovery and rebuilding efforts,” said Andy Kopplin, GNOF president and CEO, in a press release. “After Ida struck, we were proud to support Habitat’s rebuilding program with an early grant of $75,000 and today’s announcement builds on that long term partnership and continues the foundation’s commitment to long term recovery in the region.”
The program is a departure from NOAHH’s usual model, in which a New Orleans home buyer purchases a home and the land it sits on from Habitat, paying a monthly mortgage that’s below market rate. In Jean Lafitte, the homebuyers already own the land the home will be built on. Cost of construction will vary from home to home, pending insurance claims, grants, individual design preferences and other variables. The average monthly house note, or mortgage, will be in the $500 range.
“The Jefferson Community Foundation is incredibly grateful for the rebuilding work New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity continues to provide to our community,” said Christine T. Briede, JCF executive director. “This $75,000 matching grant will ensure more Jefferson Parish families can get back on their feet and in their homes after the devastation of Hurricane Ida. We look forward to continuing to partner with organizations like the Greater New Orleans Foundation and Habitat for Humanity as we work to make our parish whole again.”
The Habitat home in Lafitte will have “fortified gold standards” for housing, meaning that the homes are elevated at least 12 feet, have larger joists, reinforced roofs, hurricane straps and other features that make it less vulnerable to flooding and hurricane-force winds. NOAHH presently has a list of over 100 households that have expressed interest, with 30 households currently working through the process of compiling the documentation needed in order to qualify for a house.
The homes were designed in partnership with Rural Studios, an Auburn, Ala.-based design group whose mission is to enable sustainable, healthful rural living through both housing and vital systems to ensure communities thrive. Rural Studios has built for almost 40 years in south Alabama and northwest Florida.
“Disaster rebuilding is a long-term process,” said Marguerite Oestreicher, Habitat executive director. “Our efforts in Lafitte are just starting, with many more homes to be repaired and built. Support from funders like the Greater New Orleans Foundation and the Jefferson Community Foundation are vital to the success of the undertaking and to ensure this historic and hard-working community thrives for generations to come.”
Other major partners of the rebuilding effort include Carrier, which will provide HVAC systems for each Habitat home in Lafitte; and Tracey Maynor, philanthropist and owner of Jean Lafitte-based Griffin Fishing Charters.
