Blighted homes: “Any dwelling considered unfit for habitation because it’s “dilapidated, unsanitary, unsafe, vermin infested, or lacking in facilities and equipment required by the housing code.””
Blighted homes are no new thing. They exist all over the world due to a variety of reasons; from abandonment, lack of funds for upkeep, or natural disasters. In New Orleans, there are areas such as the Lower Ninth Ward, full of blighted homes due to Hurricane Katrina. The flooding, completely destroying the insides and surrounding properties of these buildings, forced home-owners to move, sometimes to a new state, for evacuation. Although Katrina occurred over twelve years ago, there is still a desperate need for renovation in New Orleans. Most of these houses need to be completely gutted and replaced with new construction. However, most of these houses are owned by people with lower in come, making it hard for them to return to their homes and rebuild. Seeing selling as a better option, many of these properties have been and are being sold, soon to most likely be new commercial buildings. New Orleans is losing it’s local families, and with it, it’s local charm and history.
I went to New Orleans for the first time last spring with Bear Breaks, giving me an initial impression and brief education of Katrina and it’s effects. This year, I really hope to learn more from the locals about what happened, what’s going on now, and how I can best serve with them. By meeting the people who live and work there, I intend to grow in empathy, and ultimately serve the community.