New Orleans is Building Back Smarter and Stronger
Three agencies – the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – have come together in New Orleans to finance and oversee the construction of the Faubourg Lafitte Senior Housing Community which will have 100 apartments for senior residents ranging in size from 615 – 900 square feet. 89 of the apartments will be one-bedroom units and 11 will be two-bedroom units. They will be offered to Section 9 and public housing residents in New Orleans.
“The Faubourg Lafitte community is another example of how New Orleans is building back smarter and stronger,” said Mayor Mitchell Landrieu. “Once completed, the new Lafitte Senior Housing building will contribute greatly to this revitalized corridor by providing our seniors with an affordable housing option that is just blocks away from the new Lafitte Greenway, which is opening this spring.”
The groundbreaking for the new housing units will be held Wednesday, February 25, 2015.
The new senior housing community is located conveniently close to the new Lafitte Greenway which will be open to the public in Summer, 2015. The Lafitte Greenway is an integral part of the revitalization of New Orleans for the area of town located between the Treme and Lakeview. The purpose of the planning of this area was to offer more convenient means of public transportation for residents without vehicles, to link the two neighborhoods of Treme and Lakeview, to provide a community space that would also offer a safe path to home, school, work, or play, and to provide walking and biking paths for not only community residents but also to the elderly or disabled who may need rehabilitation opportunities.
As a 2.6-mile bicylce and pedestrian trail, New Orleans homeowners and renters will be able to travel from Armstrong Park to City Park. In addition to the walking / biking asphalt pathway, the Lafitte Greenway will also feature recreation fields, new landscaping, planted trees, green spaces, and drainage in the form of bioswales and stormwater retention. Safety is the priority of this non-profit organization’s planning, so the path itself will be well-lit by LED, energy efficient lights. Other features include curb extensions, signalized high visibility crosswalks, Americans with Disabilites Act-compliant curb ramps at sidewalk corners, environmental remediation, a crushed stone walking path, and a bicycle and pedestrian roundabout.