In 2005, Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast, damaging 134,000 homes and displacing 400,000 people in the City of New Orleans alone. For many of these families, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable, it was a life-altering tragedy, the impact of which is still being felt today.

In the wake of this disaster, HUD and the Housing Authority of New Orleans made a controversial decision not to repair and reopen four large public housing complexes. Instead, they took the opportunity to utilize disaster recovery funding for redevelopment.

In 2006, Enterprise Community Partners and Providence Community Housing led the redevelopment of one of these sites into a low-density, mixed-income community to be called Faubourg Lafitte. This report tells the story of Faubourg Lafitte and the impact that it has on residents and the community in the first years of its redevelopment. More than just a physical transformation, the redevelopment has helped catalyze a renewal in the neighborhood and provide residents with new opportunities, connections to jobs and a safe, stable place to call home.