Gulf Coast Recovery
Hurricane Katrina Recovery Timeline, 2005-Today
For most of us the events associated with Hurricane Katrina are memory. For hundreds of thousands people on the Gulf Coast they are a daily fact of life as they travel the long road to recovery. Three years after the disaster struck, the National Trust for Historic Preservation continues to work diligently with our partners in Louisiana and Mississippi to protect and enhance the special character of the places these people enjoy.
Our Position
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is committed to playing an active role in responding to catastrophic national disasters. We are dedicated to assisting affected neighborhoods in rebuilding and stabilizing cultural resources and older and historic communities and support full compliance with Section 106 review under the National Historic Preservation Act in the aftermath of any natural or man-made disaster -- particularly in the distribution of Federal disaster aid in the form of grants, loans, tax credits and any in-kind contributions, which may also be provided in match from States and localities to affected citizens.
Learn More
In New Orleans we maintain a New Orleans Field Office that provides on the ground leadership and advocacy to protect buildings from unnecessary demolition, monitors governmental agencies for compliance with preservation laws, proposes policies that help owners of historic properties in their recovery efforts and helps coordinate the dizzying array of preservation activities throughout the city. The Director of our field office, Walter Gallas, maintains a lively preservation blog about the unique city of New Orleans and its equally unique preservation challenges.
We also operate the HOME AGAIN! program out of our New Orleans Field Office. HOME AGAIN! provides direct technical assistance and funding to low and moderate income owners of historic properties. Since late 2005 we have helped 11 different families reclaim their homes and restart their lives. You can find some of their stories here. We are currently working with 7 new projects. Our HOME AGAIN! efforts are concentrated in the Holy Cross neighborhood in the 9th Ward of New Orleans and are intended to be a catalyst for neighborhood renewal and a demonstration to a watching city and world of the viability of New Orleans' historic neighborhoods.
All of our efforts in New Orleans are made possible by the strong partnership we have with the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans. Not only is our field office housed in their headquarters but they help us coordinate all of our preservation-based community revitalization efforts in the city. This includes:
- The National Trust Main Street Center establishing four city-wide Main Street program in New Orleans. We now have Main Street programs on Oak Street, St. Claude Avenue, North Rampart St. and O.C. Haley St. More updates and information from each of our Main Streets in the Crescent City are on their way.
- Placing a community development specialist in the New Orleans field office to provide historic real estate redevelopment training and technical assistance to property owners and developers.
- Engaging New Orleans city officials to ensure preservation is integrated into rebuilding strategies.
- Focusing the National Trust's technical expertise and financial resources, including its equity and loan products on New Orleans to facilitate historic rehab.
Likewise, in Mississippi we are working with our partners, the Mississippi Heritage Trust and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to save those important remaining historic places on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. The future of places like Beauvoir, the Gulfport Veterans Administration Hospital campus, and the Charnley House are still in the balance and our support of our partners in working for the future of these special places is an integral part of our Gulf Coast recovery efforts.
Lowe's Katrina Cottage
Lowe's is supporting hurricane recovery efforts through a contribution to the National Trust's Hurricane Recovery Fund and in offering the Katrina Cottage, a small, permanent home designed as a dignified alternative to the FEMA trailer. The National Trust supports this initiative and commends Lowe's for its leadership in making these units available.
PreservationNation Blog: Gulf Coast Recovery 
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