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Fostering Hope in New Orleans
The news cameras have long since left Katrina-ravaged New Orleans, but a miracle is flourishing there that proves hope and prayer are as strong as any storm.
Its name is the Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative, and like the most powerful miracles, it’s one we achieved through both prayer and deeds.
As Katrina’s fourth anniversary arrives, Jericho Road is transforming the New Orleans neighborhood of Central City—which faced serious difficulties even before the storm—into a renewed and sustainable community. By Katrina’s extreme standards, Central City was spared the worst damage, but homes in some neighborhoods were still reduced to rubble. Jericho Road is working to transform tragedy into possibility by making Central City stronger and more vibrant than it was before the storm.
An initiative conceived in partnership with Episcopal Relief & Development and the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, Jericho Road is a neighborhood-based nonprofit homebuilder that provides families with healthy and energy-efficient affordable housing opportunities. So far, Jericho Road has built and sold 21 homes. Another 20 are constructed or under construction, and 57 more lots have been acquired. The homes are available at reasonable costs to low- and moderate-income families. By incorporating energy-saving building techniques, Jericho Road is also helping the environment while keeping the cost of homes low.
Jericho Road’s goal isn’t merely rebuilding. It’s renewing—partnering with neighborhood residents, organizations and businesses and using a holistic approach to create and maintain a stable and thriving community. Jericho Road’s neighborhood organizers, children’s programs and community efforts like an annual “Night Out Against Crime” are both improving life in the area today and building social capital for the future.
The results are measured not merely in the number of homes but rather in strong neighborhoods with involved residents who are building long-term wealth for themselves and who also care about their communities.
The success of Jericho Road is a testament to the vision of Bishop Charles Jenkins of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and his belief in a more just future for New Orleans. The National Board of Episcopal Church Women (ECW) is also playing a major role in the project, with a goal of raising over $110,000 and devoting countless volunteer hours to support Jericho Road. With this kind of dedication and vision supporting this innovative project, we are confident that its triumphs so far are only the beginning.
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