Projects

"Restoring New Orleans Communities, One Neighborhood at a Time."

       ASII’s current Home Development initiative involves the acquisition of blighted and adjudicated property in the St Claude Neighborhood and the redevelopment of these properties. The boundaries of this area extend from the railroad tracks at Press St (to the West), Lesseps St (to the East), St Claude Ave to the south and Florida St to the North, and is known as the “Upper Ninth Ward”.

       In 2009, ASII purchased and redeveloped its first property on Alvar Street, near the Habitat for Humanity Musician’s Village. While ASII has and will continue to diligently work to preserve the historic features of all acquired properties, it is important to note that many homes in the Ninth Ward received excessive damage from floodwaters making it difficult to maintain their structural integrity during the rehabilitation process.

       However, ASII has teamed up with a group of developers to ensure that new development not only fits into the neighborhood’s aesthetic, but includes key architectural components that give New Orleans its distinctiveness and character.

       In order for residents to be eligible for ASII homes, the residents must meet certain criteria:

1. They must fall between 50% and 80% of the New Orleans area median income (ami).
2. They must be willing to meet with ASII staff for
   evaluations, to satisfy the educational requirements (homeownership counseling, etc) of ASII and to maintain a working relationship with ASII for the duration of their home acquisition process.
3. ASII also encourages participants to contribute time or energy into the acquisition of their homes. This can be in the form of sweat equity in the actual development of their home or it can be worked out through volunteer hours at ASII’s community center with any of the center’s tenants.